It Was Hard to Breathe
by The Enchanted Cheesy Soybean
Summary: Completely different from what I usually post. Beginning at the summer of Harry's upcoming seventh year to living with the most unexpected person after the Great Wizarding War as it would later be called. No slash. SeverusHarryfatherson relationship
1. Nightmare

This story is quite different from my usual ones. I hope that readers enjoy.

Disclaimer: No scrap of anything is mine except for the plot, which might actually happen, everything belongs to our dear J. K. Rowling.

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It was hard to breathe. His breath was ragged and irregular.

Another nightmare.

Harry Potter tossed and turned fitfully in his bed, sweat soaking through the dirty clothes that he had worn almost the whole summer.

Everything was dark, he couldn't see anything.

His hands desperately clawed at the dark air, trying to find something to grab onto; to find something that was solid.

Cold, hard, rock. Harry traced its outline which was cut into a crude, rounded rectangle. Beside it was another, and another. It was a wall.

He was in some sort of room.

Yelling, faint yelling.

Harry squinted at the sudden intrusion of light that poured from beneath a door on the other side.

He slowly made his way over, not wanting to trip and give away his presence.

Harry leant down to the floor and spread out, turning his head and inching his face towards the crack beneath the doorway.

His breathe hitched and eyes widened.

Not this dream again.

"SIRIUS!"

Not again.

"SIRIUS!" He bellowed.

"He can't come back Harry," said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. "He can't come back, because he's d -"

"HE – IS – NOT - DEAD!" Roared Harry. "SIRIUS!"

BANG BANG BANG!

"BOY! Stop that racket! We're trying to sleep!" Growled Vernon from the doorway.

Harry jerked awake, gasping and rubbing hot tears angrily from his eyes with tightly-closed fists.

He waited for Vernon to go away before getting up.

Harry had been screaming; his throat was almost painfully dry.

Sitting on the side of his bed, Harry shook the wet hair, drenched from sweat, from his face and peeled the shirt off him.

This was a terrible summer night to have nightmares, he sweat enough already.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly, isolating the terrible memory of the Department of Mysteries in its own little place in his mind.

He had to give it its own place.

Forgetting had never worked.

The only problem was the nightmares, the memory doors always opened in his dreams.

Knowing that he couldn't possibly get back to sleep and desperately needing some water, Harry stood up slowly, aware of the squeaky boards, and made his way across the room to his door.

Vernon, Dudley, and even Petunia were all snoring in three-part harmony, if you could call the half snorting, half log-sawing din harmony.

He reached towards the handle and turned.

_Cli-_

It was locked.

Harry rolled his eyes; they honestly thought that locks could hold him in?

He reached into the pocket of his baggy, grey flannels and took out his wand.

"Alohamora." He whispered, his voice slightly cracking with his dry throat.

All the locks opened as one and the door swung back fiercely.

Using his Quidditch reflexes, Harry's hand shot out and grabbed the door before it slammed against the wall.

Hearing the snores continue, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Using a spell with high emotions was never very safe with Harry Potter.

After creeping and tip-toeing past his aunt and uncle's bedroom, Harry approached the stairs.

"Not the stairs…" He whispered as he wiped the sweat from his brow that had been about the trickle down his nose.

Harry pushed aside the awful memory of the last time he had tried to go down the incredibly squeaky stairs.

Vernon had caught him.

Blinking away the thought of being starved again, Harry sat on the banister and nervously listened to the steady snores that could stop at any moment.

"What am I afraid for?" Harry chastised himself, "I'm nearly seventeen bloody-years-old."

He stepped down from the banister and jumped hard on the squeakiest stair.

Vernon's snore jumped, and then went back to the regular pattern.

Harry waved his hand in Vernon's direction in a careless manner, and then proceeded down the stairs like he normally would when he went down to make breakfast.

He had made it to the kitchen.

Opening the cabinet next to the sink, Harry snatched the first cup and stuffed it under the stream of water that he had turned on full-blast.

His throat had gotten even drier with the thought of water.

Gulping down the cold, sweet liquid with a little too much vigor, water dripped down his chin steadily and made a content puddle on the floor.

Finishing the whole glass, he set it down on the counter and gasped for air, it was hard to drink without breathing for a whole two minutes.

Harry started breathing normally, then grabbed the towel from the bottom cabinet door and wiped the water off his chin and chest.

He really needed a shower.

Harry set the glass down in the sink and looked out the window, the late night was dark and only lit by the occasional streetlight.

Where could he get a shower?

He shrugged, that could wait. Right now he really felt like a walk; the cool air would feel good against his hot skin.

Balling-up the towel and tossing it in the sink, Harry walked to the door, opened it and inhaled the sweet, night air.

It was only at night that he could be Harry; that he could go outside and not have to worry about being seen.

Aurors were still constantly watching him; they felt it was their duty to Dumbledore.

Stopping abruptly, Harry's face clouded over.

He shook his head violently, pushing that memory to the very deepest and darkest recess in his mind.

Now was not the time.

Now was the time to stray away from these thoughts, of haunting memories.

Pulling back his hair and yanking slightly, Harry continued his walk slowly down the street.

Smirking, he got an idea as to how he could get a shower.

Mr. Westerly was a portly businessman that Vernon had over for dinner once, he lived not too far down the street.

It was a well-known fact that the Westerly's were a very wealthy family.

And, almost indefinitely, had a pool.

Running now, partly because the Dumbledore-memory was trying to resurface and partly because of the thought of cool water, Harry bolted down the street towards their house.

He easily vaulted over their small fence and stopped just in time to see a very angry rottweiler.

Harry stopped in his tracks.

The dog growled low and viciously snapped at his ankles.

Harry jumped back and tripped, landing in the bushes.

The light turned on and the dog started barking.

Harry flinched and tried to move.

The rottweiler growled even lower and made a move to pounce.

Harry stayed put.

"Támera?" A voice asked from the porch. "Támera, what is it, girl? Not another gnawed neighbor, I hope."

Harry looked up into the man's face as Támera, the rottweiler, trotted obediently to the man's side.

"What are _you_ doing here, Potter?" Asked a very recognizable voice.

This was _not_ the Westerly house.

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I hope you liked the first chapter, I needed to take a break from my IWOHP2 story; but don't worry (for those of you who like it) I'm going to finish it this week and maybe continue this one.

Review if you would like for me to continue, I'm not really sure if I'm going to...


	2. Snape?

Well, I think I'll continue on this one...maybe...ideas are still forming and I'm not quite sure yet to continue completely.

Disclaimer: All belongs to the great being known as J. K. Rowling.

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**"What are _you_ doing here, Potter?" Asked a very recognizable voice.**

**This was _not_ the Westerly house.**

"U-uh…I was just…" Harry stuttered, and then creased his brow as the memory of Dumbledore came back.

He pushed up out of the bush with his hands and wiped them on his pants to get the dirt and twigs off.

He faced the man, "What are you doing here _Snivelous_?" Harry sneered, taking a jar at Severus' emotions.

Snape showed no sign of being bothered, "I am, unfortunately, part of the self-employed aurors who baby-sit you every night."

Harry frowned, "I don't need babysitters. If Voldemort-" Snape then flinched visibly, having noticed this, Harry smirked and said it again, "Voldemort wants to have a go at me, he can go right ahead and try."

It was Snape's turn to sneer, "Foolish boy. You can't even control your wandless magic, you don't know the smallest scrap of occlumency, and you're completely hardheaded in dangerous situations. Don't think I don't know about how much you slacked off during the Tri-Wizard tournament."

Harry's head snapped up from looking at the ground, "Don't you _dare_ talk to me about that tournament." He hissed, "I may have been a bit lazy during the first task, but everyone ended up cheating off of a psycho who was out to get his father. And another thing," Harry stepped closer, his eyes glowing amethyst, "I saw things during that tournament that could make your toenails curl."

Snape scowled, "Nothing you see through your eyes amount to one puny _third_ of what I have seen Potter. At _every single_ death-eater meeting I have to watch at least one person tortured. It is usually a man but…sometimes it is a woman, or a child." Snape stepped closer until their noses touched; electricity sparked from their eyes and expressed the deep loathing for the other, the anger.

"You could not stand today if you have seen through my eyes." He finished, glaring back into the green orbs that were reflecting the same glare.

"_Tssssssssseeeeee assssshhhhhhhhaaaaaiiiiiiaaaasssshee!_" Harry hissed in Severous' face.

Severous glared even harder, "_Ttsssssssssssssssssaaaaaaaaaassssshaaaaiiiiii. Ssssssshhhhaaaaaeeeee aaammmooooorreeesssssssshheee tsssssiiiiiiiiaaaahhhaaauuucci."_

Támera whimpered and crawled back to her dog house with her tail pitifully between her legs, she didn't like snakes, or parseltongue for that matter.

Harry blinked, "You're rottweiler has a defect."

Snape turned, Támera had her head under her paws and was closing her eyes; he sighed, and then snapped, "She is _not_ defective! Támera used to be owned by a parselmouth and was constantly abused, he would always hiss at her."

Severous leant down and scratched her behind the ears, her tongue lolled out and she happily panted and rolled to her back.

"What am I going to do with you?" Snape asked playfully, "You constantly want to be petted."

Harry knelt beside him, "I had a dog once," he whispered as he petted Támera on the stomach.

"Why am I not surprised, Potter?" Snape said as he stood up, "You've probably had plenty of pets."

Harry didn't answer, and only continued to pet Támera who was quickly growing a liking to him.

"Riddle used to be her owner, wasn't he?" Harry asked.

"Yes, he was." Snape answered, wondering about the change in subject.

"Potter, what happened to your dog?" Severous asked, wanting to get back at him for the jab about Támera having a defect.

"Did you not feed it enough?" He added spitefully.

"I fed him what I could." Harry weakly answered.

Snape was disturbed by this answer, not only what Potter had said, but how he said it. It was in a defeated way.

Not wanted to make the situation any more awkward, Snape gestured toward the house, "Want to come in? Y-" He couldn't finish without being sincere, and that was just wrong in Snape's mind.

Sincere to Potter? Never.

Harry shook his head, not looking up, "I think I'll just go back." He turned to go and started toward the gate.

Clenching his teeth, Snape looked back and forth from Potter to the house.

Potter, and then the house.

He punched himself inwardly.

"Potter! Wait. You- you need a shower." Severous finished weakly, "C'mon Támera, you might as well come inside too."

Harry turned towards him in surprise, but Snape was already walking into the house with Támera at his heels.

She turned to Harry and barked happily, wagging her tail like it was playtime.

Harry stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked inside the door.

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I hope at least someone likes this...the plot is still forming a bit...and ideas as well, so...yeah. this story is developing as I write. Reviews are welcome, but flames are frowned upon. Most of them aren't tactful and just a waste so take this advice and just Don't Write Them. ok? ok.

Oh! And here are the translations:

_"Tssssssssseeeeee assssshhhhhhhhaaaaaiiiiiiaaaasssshee"_ (a.k.a. What Harry said) : Slithering death-eater!

"_Ttsssssssssssssssssaaaaaaaaaassssshaaaaiiiiii. Ssssssshhhhaaaaaeeeee aaammmooooorreeesssssssshheee tsssssiiiiiiiiaaaahhhaaauuucci."_ (a.k.a. What Snape said, obviously) : You child. I am not among that sort.


	3. Was that really Sleeping Drought?

I hope you like this chapter, it's nice and long.

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, they are J. K. Rowlings.

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**Harry turned towards him in surprise, but Snape was already walking into the house with Támera at his heels.**

**She turned to Harry and barked happily, wagging her tail like it was playtime.**

**Harry stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked inside the door.**

"Bathroom is the third door on the left," Severus called from the kitchen with Támera and her curious nose at his heels.

_He must be making something,_ Harry mused as he heard the slight clatter of pans, _It better not be poisoned._

He walked slowly inside the house, looking about and noticing the mess.

Dirty plates were all over the dining room stacked on side tables, the fireplace, and even on top of couches and chairs.

The dining room was connected to the kitchen, part of a wall and a bar table separated them to where Snape could watch Harry's curious scrutiny.

Harry continued past the dining room and the kitchen to the hallway.

Some clothes were caught under the cracks of closed doors and some were in the walkway where he had to step over them.

The third door.

Harry opened it, expecting a cramped space with mold and a rusty tub.

He was surprised.

The bathroom was enormous, and not only that, but perfectly spotless.

Harry grunted in amusement; _Sure shows where their priorities lie. It's definitely better than them not having any hygiene._

It was bigger than Harry's bedroom; a large bathtub was in the corner and looked to have power-jets, the ceiling was high and made of glass, he could see the stars.

Turning the nozzle to as hot as he could stand, Harry went to the sink to wash his face.

It was flower-shaped.

Harry snorted, this was too funny.

He took off his glasses, laid them on the counter, and picked up the soap; wet it under a small stream of water, and worked up lather.

Harry was about to snort again, but the lavender-smelling soup was fitting with the flower-shaped sink.

Lavender soap.

A flash of memory crossed his mind.

A completely white-marble bathroom softly lit by a candle-filled chandelier; a swimming-pool bath in the middle of the floor with about a hundred golden taps surrounding it, different colored jewels in each handle.

Harry shook his head.

Long, white, linen curtains. A golden-framed painting of a mermaid.

He shook his head, but this time more violently, sending soap suds flying. This memory had to stop. It could not progress.

A haunting mermaid tune.

This memory always ended the same way.

"He's dead!" "He's dead!" "Cedric Diggory! _Dead_!"

Harry gripped his head, the soap burning his eyes and the memories his soul.

"Stop…" he weakly whispered, still hearing the voices, the screams, the sobbing.

Tears mixed with the suds as Harry gripped at his hair, they had to go away.

"_Kill the spare_."

With shaky hands Harry grabbed madly for the sink handle, finding it quickly and turning it full blast he thrust his hands under and scrubbed brutally at his face, splashing the cold water everywhere.

Over, and over, and over until the suds were gone.

He gripped the edges of the sink with shaky arms and irregular breathes, his knuckles were white.

Harry opened his eyes, straining with the faint stinging and sudden light; everything was made clearer as he put his glasses back on.

He looked in the mirror and grimaced, he had scratch marks all over his face, and his eyes were red and puffy.

But the memories were gone.

Remembering his bath, Harry quickly shut off the taps, removed his dirty flannels and boxers, and climbed quickly into the bath after setting his glasses back on the sink.

Harry immediately sighed with contentment at the feel of hot, clean water against his dirty skin.

His eyes shot wide open, they had closed.

He never closed his eyes if he could help it.

The memories always made it past their doors when his eyes were closed.

Then he couldn't hold them back.

Harry leaned back against the tub and looked up through the glass ceiling to the blurry stars.

"They're really a marvel." Harry talked to himself, "Glistening and twinkling up there, looking down at us in our terrible ways."

His eyes clouded over.

"Murderous ways."

Harry blinked back to reality; he grabbed the nearest clean wash-cloth, chose some green-tea body wash and scrubbed at the dirt on his arms and legs and neck.

Petunia had him work in the flower-bed.

Harry grimaced, the flower-bed was almost impossible to de-weed and keep fertilized.

He had to go out there almost every day that summer.

Harry rinsed himself off with the water and dipped his head in, closing his eyes.

"_Kill the spare_."

His head shot up out of the water, gasping and sputtering with nearly-swallowed water, wiping desperately at his eyes so he could open them.

So he could come back to the world of now. The world where he wasn't in a graveyard, or in the Department of Mysteries, or an old classroom in Hogwarts, or the Chamber of Secrets.

But he was partly in a world of memories. A world where he was in a graveyard, and the Department of Mysteries, and an old Hogwarts classroom, and the Chamber of Secrets.

This world could be reached by just the closing of an eyelid or the flicker of a dream.

Harry was familiar with this world.

Blocking out these thoughts, Harry quickly un-plugged the tub and got out, wrapping a towel securely around his waist after rubbing his hair partly dry, making it stick up more than usual.

He put his glasses on and winced as the frame brushed against a rather nasty scrape.

Inspecting the other scrapes about his face, Harry grabbed his wand from the flannels on the floor and cast a quick glamour charm.

It was then that Harry noticed something.

"I have no clean clothes…"

He sighed.

Harry would have to ask Snape for some; he winced.

"It better not be one of his greasy robes." He muttered as he picked up the dirty clothes on the floor.

Harry opened the door nervously and bit his lip.

If he asked Snape for clean clothes…he would have to actually ask Snape…in a towel…

He even contemplated wearing his dirty ones.

Harry shook his head; he definitely wasn't wearing his dirty ones.

He stepped out of the bathroom, bundling his clothes across his chest to cover as much as possible, and walked carefully about the clothes that were strewn about.

Harry peered around the wall and saw Snape sitting at the bar with a cup of coffee.

Támera had a bowl of milk.

He blinked.

"That's weird…"

Snape turned, "What is?"

"U-uh…" Had he said that out loud?

He gestured to Támera lapping up her milk, "I thought cats like milk."

"Well, Támera used to eat whatever she was given and most of the time it was milk." Snape answered, taking a sip of coffee.

He gestured to the pot, "Want a cup?"

Harry shook his head, "Never took to coffee."

Not thinking of anything else to say, Severus turned back in his chair and continued to sip.

Harry shuffled his feet, readjusted the clothes in his arms and said, "Um…Sir? Snape. Do you have any …clothes…I could wear?" He kept his eyes on Támera, not able to look at his Professor; it was too awkward.

Severus set down his cup, "Yes, I um…" He cleared his throat and headed to a door around the bar and on the right side of the kitchen, "I have some that you would wear."

Harry followed him, keeping his eyes on the floor.

The door opened up to a staircase that led up to a hardly furnished bedroom.

A lumpy-looking mattress was in the corner and a small bathroom was off to the left.

The room was about ten by six feet.

It made Harry feel claustrophobic, which reminded him of his cupboard.

He blinked furiously, willing the flashes of darkness and strained light to dissipate.

Snape had crossed the room to a suitcase with clothes neatly packed, and took out a dark pair of flannels and, surprisingly, a t-shirt.

"You may change in the bathroom." Snape said after handing them to him, "I'm going to finish my coffee and decide where you'll sleep. "God knows who would send you back to that dreadful house." He scoffed, grimacing at the image of the Dursley's as human-pigs.

"Um…Professor?" Harry asked, seeing something missing.

Snape turned to him, "yes?"

Harry gestured to his clean clothes, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Hm? Oh…" He went back to his suitcase and rummaged around awhile, scoffing here and there.

Harry had to smirk.

"Here." He said, forcefully handing Harry a pair of yellow Chudley Cannon boxers.

Harry's smirk grew.

Snape scowled, "_One_ _word_ of this Potter…" he let the threat hang, and Harry's imagination could do the rest.

Snape stalked down the stairs and back to the kitchen.

Harry had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

Snape, greasy-haired, vulture-teacher Snape…owned a pair of _yellow_ _Chudley Cannon_ boxers.

He quickly hurried to the bathroom to change before he woke the whole neighborhood up with laughter.

_Ron would just die right now_, Harry thought as he changed; still smiling.

Coming out of the bathroom feeling refreshed, Harry rolled his dirty clothes up in his towel and headed down the stairs.

Snape was at the kitchen sink rinsing out his coffee cup and Támera's milk bowl; he looked up at the sound of the door closing, then turned back to the dishes, putting them in the dish-washer and wiping his hands off on a towel when he was done.

"Well, Potter. All the bedrooms are occupied, so you have two choices: One, you sleep on the couch in the dining room; which you won't get much sleep on because the aurors always wake up extremely early, they do have other work to do. Two, you sleep in a made-up bed in my room."

Harry contemplated both; he certainly didn't want Snape sleeping in the same room, that would be too strange.

"I'll take the couch."

Snape nodded, "There's a blanket in the closet." Hemotioned in the direction of a small door in the dinning room and headed off to his room.

"Thanks."

Severus turned and nodded, then opened the door and motioned for Támera.

She whined.

Snape sighed, "You can stay down here if you want."

She panted in delight and ran over to Harry, licking his hand with vigor.

Harry chuckled and scratched her behind the ears, wiping off the slobber all over his hand with a napkin from the kitchen table.

Severus closed the door and walked back up the steps.

Harry smiled warmly at Támera and went to the closet, being sure to avoid dirty plates.

The closet was very full and abnormally big, it obviously had a spell on it to contain all the coats and cloaks on a bar, and the blankets on the racks above them.

Harry grabbed a big, wool blanket from the top and closed the door.

Támera was sitting patiently by the couch and panting happily; a stack of dirty plates beside her.

Harry scratched her behind the ears, "Did you move the plates off the couch for me?"

She licked his hand in response.

Harry smiled, pulled out his wand and made the couch bigger.

"C'mon Támera." He said, patting the couch beside him.

She leapt on the couch and circled so her back was to Harry.

He threw the blanket over them and sighed in contentment, _this couch is comfortable…_

"He's dead!" "He's dead!" "Cedric Diggory! _Dead_!"

Voices murmered, sobbing, screaming.

"Killed him…"

"Cedric's dead!"

"Killed him…"

"_Kill the spare_."

"I killed him."

Harry woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily and shaking.

He sighed with irritation.

Couldn't he ever get some sleep?

Harry knew that he couldn't get back to sleep, not after nightmares.

He blinked.

Snape lives here. Where there's Snape, there's sleeping drought.

Harry lifted himself out of the blanket, careful not to disturb Támera, and climbed over the back of the couch to the kitchen and the side door.

He opened it slowly and climbed the steps carefully.

Snape was asleep.

Remembering that Snape kept potions in the bathroom, Harry tip-toed to the open door and went inside.

He squinted and bent close to the labels, being just barely able to make them out.

_Sleeping drought, sleeping drought…_

_Here it is!_

He snatched the bottle and planned to explain to Snape in the morning why it was missing.

Harry made it back downstairs without a hitch, no stairs squeaked, no floor-boards groaned, and no doors spoke of his presence.

He slipped back under the covers and uncorked the vial, downing it quickly so the vile taste didn't linger.

Harry barely re-corked the vial and placed it on the table before his head hit the pillow and was out like a light.

A nagging sun aggravated his closed eyes, telling him to wake up and enjoy the new day.

Harry groaned, it felt as if he had hardly slept at all.

"Finally awake?" A slightly chuckling voice said from the direction of the kitchen, the sound of sizzling meats wafted up Harry's nose along with scrumptious biscuits.

He immediately woke up, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and propped himself up on his elbow to where he was peering over the armrest of the couch into the kitchen where a blurry figure was flipping the sausage and bacon.

He furrowed his brow, which auror did he know that had blond hair?

Harry reached over his head to the table, grabbed his glasses, and placed them securely on his face.

He still didn't recognize the person from the back of them.

It was then that someone else walked into the room.

They had their hair in a short pony-tail with grey streaks, they looked to be about fifty or so.

Something was oddly familiar about him…

"Ah, I see you're up, son." The man remarked as he poured himself coffee.

Did…did he just call Harry…?

"Yep, he just woke up a moment ago, dad." Remarked the blond from the kitchen, he turned to Harry.

"You really need to stop staying up so late, brother."

Harry couldn't speak…

His mouth opened and closed like he was a fish.

Why was _Snape_ calling him son?

And **_why_** was _Malfoy_ calling him brother?

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I felt so smart whenI thought of this.

I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible for me; I'm working to finish up another story, so I'm apologizing in advance if I don't update until after two days or so.


	4. Consulting the Potions Log

Sorry for updating kinda late, I was feeling a bit lazy. It _is_ spring break, for me, though...so there.

I have a reason.

Disclaimer: I own no scrap of anything that is mentioned in this story (except Támera...and the ooc-ness, and the plot); other than that, all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

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**Why was _Snape_ calling him son?**

**And _why_ was _Malfoy_ calling him brother?**

Harry blinked rapidly in confusion.

This was just too weird.

He ripped the glasses off his face and rubbed his eyes, then put his glasses back on.

They were still there.

Draco and Snape shared a look, and then looked at Harry with concerned expressions.

"What's wrong, lion?" Snape asked, walking over to the couch.

Harry pushed himself backward on the couch, avoiding Snape from getting any closer.

His back hit the arm-rest.

Severus' brow creased with worry.

"Was it another dream?" Draco asked softly from the kitchen.

Harry smiled with relief and his shoulders relaxed, "A dream. Yes, that's it."

Harry had let his head fall back on the arm-rest, but his head shot up when he felt a dent in the couch.

Snape had sat down and put a comforting arm around him.

Harry stared at him in bewilderment.

Snape was …_hugging_ him…

And he felt it…

Harry pushed Snape away and leapt off the couch, tripping as his feet got tangled in the blanket.

He landed on the floor hard.

"Ow!" He yelled.

His knee stung; Harry pulled up the right leg of his flannel pants and observed a red and stinging carpet-burn.

Wait a second…

He pinched his arm.

Harry felt it.

He hadn't woken up from this dream…and that meant…

"This _isn't_ a dream…" Harry whispered to himself, looking about the room.

It was exactly where he had been last night, except for several things: 1) Draco was in the kitchen burning the sausage and bacon because his worried attention was on Harry; 2) Snape was on the couch wearing the same expression; 3) the house was completely clean with no dirty dishes about; and 4) Támera wasn't in sight.

Harry blinked, "Where's…where's Támera?" He rasped; his voice hoarse from the overpowering feeling of confusion.

Draco and Snape shared a pained look, and then looked back to Harry.

Snape shifted, about to hug Harry again, then second guessed himself and stayed put, "Támera died about ten years ago." He whispered.

Harry felt a familiar pang, though not near as strong.

He had only known Támera for barely a day, but he still would miss her.

Harry swallowed, trying to control his breathing.

Had he gone forward in time?

"What year is it?" He asked, not looking into either of their faces, afraid that he might be able to count the years on their faces.

"It's…two-thousand seven, brother." Draco said somewhat tentatively from the kitchen.

Harry discerned that he had started frying another batch of sausage and bacon, because the burnt smell was gone.

His head snapped up and he looked between the two with wide eyes, "T-two thousand…_two-thousand seven_?"

Severus nodded, "Do you not remember, lion?"

Since when did Snape give him a nick-name? He wasn't his father!

Harry turned to Snape with a scowl, "I'm _not_ your lion."

Snape winced as if the words physically hurt.

Draco stormed out of the kitchen, "What _is_ this, brother? Why are you-"

Snape shushed him, looking to Harry with a furrowed brow, "What year is it Harry?"

Harry sighed, "Last time I checked, not by you, it was nineteen-ninety seven."

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"So," Started Snape, putting down his fork after finishing breakfast, "The last thing you remember is taking sleeping drought?"

Harry nodded, wiping his mouth, "Then I just woke up here."

"Hmm…Are you sure it was sleeping drought you took?" Inquired Draco, sliding off his bar-stool and taking up their plates to rinse and put in the dish-washer.

Harry's brow furrowed in thought, "Now that you mention it…the bathroom _was_ dark…at it was hard to read labels."

Severus nodded, "I'll bet you anything it wasn't sleeping drought you took."

Harry shrugged, "If it wasn't sleeping drought, then…What was it?"

A determined look came over Severus' face, "I bet I know how to find out."

He pushed back on his chair, making it squeak in protest at the movement, then pushed off the table and walked quickly to the door off the kitchen.

Harry followed him in an equal gait up the stairs and to the bedroom.

It was quite different than before.

There was expensive-looking, mahogany furniture, and the room seemed to have been made bigger.

But now was not the time for scrutiny.

Harry followed Snape into the bathroom, which was also made much, much larger; part of it was organized to be a sort of potions cabinet with a clear, glass door.

Severus opened it and pulled out a worn-looking book from the bottom shelf.

He blew the small amount of dust off the top and opened its slightly yellowing pages.

"This book is a log of every potion that I have had in my possession since my sixth year at Hogwarts. Surely your potion will be in here." Snape said eagerly, conjuring two chairs for them to sit on.

They both quickly sat, scooting their chairs close so both could see.

"Alright…where would it be…where would it be…" Severus muttered as he ran a finger down the index page, "It should be here, _Missing Potions_ page 58."

He flipped to page 58; the potions were all dated according to when he found they were missing and when he determined that they were taken.

"What was the specific date, lio-Harry?" Severus asked, catching himself.

"Umm…" Harry ran a hand through his hair, trying desperately to remember, "It was..August? Yeah, August seventh!"

Snape ran a finger down the page again, muttering to himself, "August seventh…August seventh…August seventh…"

He was in the wrong year.

Snape flipped forward six pages.

"Aha! August seven, nineteen-ninety seven." Severus said triumphantly.

"There were four potions taken that day…" Harry said after reading that portion, worrying his lip; "Which one?"

Severus furrowed his brow in thought, bringing his hand up to his chin to scratch it in a very Dr. Holmes manner.

Harry almost chuckled.

"There!" Severus pointed at the first potion, "It has to be that one."

"Futurus verisimilis? What's that?" Harry asked, not being familiar with that potion.

"It means 'likely future' in Latin. It's a sort of time-teleportation potion that isn't used that often…" Severus replied.

"Wait…" Said Harry, turning to look at Snape; "It _was_ dark, but I wasn't _that_ blind. I couldn't have possibly mistaken 'Sleeping Drought' for 'Futurus Verisimilis'."

Severus frowned, "This may be more serious than we think."

Harry stared at him, "How do you mean?"

He turned towards Harry, "Someone might have intentionally made sure that you took that potion. That you would see the future…"

Harry's brow creased, partially with confusion, "Who would do _that_? What good would it do them?"

Severus took on the same look, then his eyes widened as he looked back to Harry; "Do you still have a connection to Voldemort? Can you see through each others' eyes?"

"Only through our dreams, but-" Harry quickly looked to Snape, "You don't think-?"

Severus nodded slowly.

"B-but-" Harry sputtered, bewildered at the thought of Voldemort being in the same house he was in, "How did he get in a house full of aurors? And…wouldn't my scar burn?"

Severus' brow creased in thought again, they were very true points.

"And," Harry added, trying to convince himself, more so than Snape, that Voldemort couldn't have switched the potions, "Wouldn't he have killed me since he had the chance?"

Snape blinked, "Actually Harry, I believe you are correct. Voldemort couldn't possibly have gone into that house…"

His head snapped up, he had been looking sightlessly at the pages of the worn log-book as he thought.

"Mundungas…" He whispered almost inaudibly.

Harry looked at Snape with confusion, "Dung? The sleazy thief?"

"He was given the Dementors kiss during the Great Wizarding War for spying." Severus explained, "If it wasn't Voldemort who switched the potions it had to be a death-eater. Mundungas was the only spy that knew which house we were hiding out in."

Harry clenched his teeth, first feeling searing anger; then he slumped his shoulders and ran his hands through his messy hair with a tired sigh.

"What am I going to do? Am I cursed with these types of things?" He mumbled into his hands, resting his elbows on his knees.

Severus chuckled, "You've often asked me that."

Harry looked up, "So, any suggestions Professor?"

Snapes' face slightly hardened at being called 'professor', he closed the book and put it back on the bottom shelf.

"Well, I suggest just waiting it out." Snape started walking with Harry out the door and through the bedroom, "The potion doesn't last for too long…although there is the danger of Voldemort hearing and seeing everything that you do, so another suggestion is to learn Occlumency. You can begin lessons tomorrow; it's getting a little late." He ended with a yawn.

"Draco?" He called.

"Yeah, dad?" Draco answered, coming out of a room, located in the hallway, in his pajamas and combing through hisshoulder-length, blond hair.

"Show Harry his bedroom, please." Snape nodded awkwardly at Harry, "Well, goodnight."

"G'night…" Harry weakly answered as Snape walked back to his room.

Draco motioned to Harry, "Come on, you'll love your room." He grinned and headed to the room next to his.

Harry raised an eyebrow; _that_ certainly was a first.

Draco had actually smiled…no, _grinned_.

He walked cautiously into the room, it was…

Harry gaped, it was _huge_!

He had a large, four-poster bed in the middle of the wall directly across from him, and a small, dark chestnut dresser to the right of it with a reading lamp.

On the wall to theright of Harry's bed was a large dresser with an oval-shaped mirror in the middle with excellent craftsmanship, there were snitches and brooms around the frame.

Harry shook his head slowly, this couldn't be his room.

On that same wall was an opening to his bathroom, about five feet down the wall from that opening, where the large dresser was in between, was another one; they both were circular and made the room seem even more spacious.

On theleft side of the room, which was the wall to theleft of Harry, was a small library with black shelves and a rectangular, maroon, and gold rug with two, comfortable-looking, leather chairs.

Where had Draco gone?

Harry kicked himself inwardly.

Since when had he become Draco?

Malfoy was Malfoy.

Harry walked to the right side of the room and through one of the circular openings.

He gaped again.

The bathroom was completely made of green marble with gold fillings; there was a swimming-pool, no _really_, at the far left end with a small cupboard beside it.

_Most likely containing the bath products_, Harry reasoned.

There was also a golden, decorative sink to the left of Harry that was on the other side of the wall where the large dresser was, and another one to his right.

It was then that he noticed the door on the rightside of the bathroom.

Curious, Harry walked towards it, hearing his footsteps echo as they hit the marble floor.

He opened it cautiously, peering out and then stepping in the room where he ended up.

Draco grinned from the bed; he had been reading a book with his hair pulled back into a low ponytail.

"Like your room?"

Harry nodded, "It's bloody brilliant."

Draco chuckled, "I knew you would think so. You really made a fuss over arranging the furniture perfectly when we moved in."

"Do you think…" Harry worried his lip, "Would you mind answering-?"

Draco's grin turned into a warm smile; he patted the other half of the bed beside him.

Harry just sat on the end.

Draco gave a little half shrug, as if he understood the awkwardness.

"What do you want to know?"

"Firstly, why does Snape call us 'son'? And you call me 'brother?"

Draco smiled wide, "You'll love this one."

Harry raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Severus adopted both of us."

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I'm sure most of you guessed that...but y'know, it's better than the cliffie I was thinking of making. (insert black background and lightning) MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

Ahem, anyway. The next chapter should be up by tomorrow. I already have it planned out.


	5. Conversation About the Future

Sorry guys. I went on a shopping spree yesterday. It was wicked. I just love money. Ahem, right...so, here's the next chappy and I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, they belong to our dearest J. K. Rowling. (ppssst...the oocness is mine though, how else can I put in brotherly sap?)

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**"Firstly, why does Snape call us 'son'? And you call me 'brother?"**

**Draco smiled wide, "You'll love this one."**

**Harry raised an inquisitive eyebrow.**

**"Severus adopted both of us."**

Harry's breath caught in his throat.

"He…he _what_?"

Draco laughed, filling the room with a contagious, light-hearted air.

Harry couldn't help but smile, "What's so funny?"

"Haha…your…hahaha….your face! Hahahehe…" Draco answered between laughs.

"Hey, it wasn't that funny." Harry defended himself, crossing his arms across his chest and fighting the smile from forming on his face.

"Yes…yes it was." Draco nodded, lightly chuckling now and again as he caught his breath.

Harry shook his head, "You laugh too easily, then."

Draco looked up, the smile still firmly in place, "You often have said that, but you never seemed to mind."

Harry looked down, picking at a string on the bed cover; then, feeling much more comfortable around Draco, he turned on the bed and sat indian style.

"What's life like here?"

"Well," Draco mirrored Harry's position and sat across from him, "That's a rather broad question…"

"What about…Is there a regular routine we have? Do we all have jobs? Do we have wives? Children? Who do we visit? Who visits _us_? Do we-"

"Alright! Alright! Slow down there." Draco said with a chuckle, "As to your first question…yes. We sort of have a routine. Severus gets up early to go to work, you and I make breakfast for ourselves then head off to work, and then at the end of the day we all get home at the same time and eat dinner together. Usually watching a movie or something on T.V." He added with a shrug.

"On the weekends, however, we usually go to the park or a bowling alley-"

Draco was interrupted by a snort.

"Hey now! I can bowl." He defended himself with a small smile.

"Sure…" Harry chuckled, not being able to imagine Draco even touching a publicly-used bowling ball or shoes.

Draco gave him a small punch on the arm, "I can bowl better than you can!"

This got Harry full-out laughing, the image of Draco being finicky about wearing bowling shoes and holding a heavy and used bowling ball was just too funny.

He could definitely picture him slipping on the floor and fussing over his hair.

Draco had crossed his arms over his chest and looked to be brooding.

He shoved Harry's shoulder and said, "That only happened once!"

Harry clamped a hand over his mouth and laid that elbow on his knee, trying to stop laughing.

Draco could tell he hadn't stopped because his shoulders were still shaking.

Draco sighed and shook his head, then gave in to the light-hearted atmosphere and smiled, running a hand across his forehead and through his hair.

Harry then stopped laughing, but was still slightly chuckling.

Then he realized something.

"How did you know I was thinking of you slip-(snort) slipping?" Harry asked, trying to keep a straight face.

Draco narrowed his eyes, but answered, "Severus taught us both legimancy in our seventh year."

Harry nodded, "So…when did he adopt us?"

A sad look crossed Draco's face, the smile was gone.

Harry searched his face, "What is it?"

Draco took a deep breath before starting, "All I can say…is that Severus adopted us during a hard time."

Harry frowned, "The war?"

Draco shook his head with a sad smile.

He took a breathe again and changed the subject, "So, let's go back to your other questions, yes?"

Harry nodded eagerly.

"Right, so…Severus works at the Order of the Pheonix-"

"Wait a second," Harry interrupted, "That's been made an occupation?"

Draco nodded, "It became official when the war became known world-wide. People wanted to help out so some of them posed to be someone else of pure blood; mostly being aided by an improved Polyjuice Potion. Some actually got deep into Voldemort ranks."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "So…you're saying that the _whole world_ knew about the war?"

Draco nodded, "It was decided to ask for aid from the muggle society when- Well…I shouldn't tell you that."

"Why?"

Draco shook his head, "It wouldn't be good if you knew…Catastrophic even."

"So, what jobs do we have?" Harry asked, not wanted to continue prying on the war subject and somehow learn something that might change history.

"Well, we both work at the ministry. The exact department, actually." Draco added.

"What department is it?" Harry asked eagerly.

Draco smiled, "The Department for Unknown Object Use."

Harry slumped his shoulders, "That sounds bloody boring!"

"Haha! Oh, believe me. It's anything but boring." Draco replied with an even brighter smile.

"Prove it." Harry challenged, smirking in a very Malfoy-ish way.

"Currently…" Draco started, his smile becoming more secretive, yet his eyes brighter, "We're working on the Veil."

Harry sat straight up, his eyes wide and ears open, "The Veil from…" He swallowed at the lump growing in his throat, "From the Department of Mysteries?"

Draco nodded with a warm smile, "We think we might have found a way to bring Sirius back."

Harry frowned, "_Nothing_ can bring Sirius back." His eyes hardened then started to burn with oncoming tears, "He's dead!"

He wiped furiously at his eyes, "SIRUIS IS DEAD!" He screamed, feeling the emptiness creep up on him.

A dull buzz filled his senses and ears, he couldn't hear anything in the real world…

"_He can't come back Harry," said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. "He can't come back, because he's d -"_

"_HE- IS- NOT- DEAD!" Roared Harry, "SIRIUS!"_

_Flashes…flashes were all he could see._

_Sirius, being hit in the chest with a curse._

_Sirius, falling in slow motion backwards into the Veil._

_Sirius, disappearing from Harry's sight forever._

"Harry? Harry?" He heard a faint voice call.

"Harry, wake up…" It became more defined.

He stirred, trying to open his eyes.

"He's waking up." Said a relieved voice.

"What…what-appened?" He slurred, still being partially asleep.

"You started crying then…fainted." Draco answered with an extremely worried expression.

Harry rubbed his eyes, then he opened them…but everything was blurry.

"Where's my glasses?" He asked, squinting.

Snape handed them to him.

"Ah…much better. Thanks, dad."

Severus and Draco's eyes widened.

"What…what did you call me?"

Harry looked at him curiously, "I called you dad, dad. Like I always do."

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Sorry, I hate to leave you with a cliffie. Review and the next chappy will be up by tomorrow.

Oh, and a big Thank You to those who have reviewed. You're all awesome!


	6. Futurus Verisimilis Explained

Hi there. There is a lot explained in this chapter, so I hope that you enjoy it. Feel free to tell me what you think, but let me put a slight hamper on you...no flames.

Disclaimer: The plot (most of it) is mine, the slight oocness is mine, yet...sadly...none of the characters are for they belong to dearest Rowling.

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**"Ah…much better. Thanks, dad."**

**Severus and Draco's eyes widened.**

**"What…what did you call me?"**

**Harry looked at him curiously, "I called you dad, dad. Like I always do."**

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A dull throb was pounding in his ears.

Harry groaned and ran a hand through his messy hair, massaging his temples to try and relieve some of the pressure.

"Drink this."

Someone took his hand and placed a vial into it, most likely containing a potion.

Harry cracked his eyes open and squinted at the bright light.

Wait…bright light?

It was night-time last he checked...

Harry sat up, then winced as his headache became more than a dull throb.

He fell back onto the bed.

"Where…where am I?" Harry asked, massaging one of his temples again and squinting, trying to look about and recognize his blurry surroundings.

His glasses weren't on.

"You're still at the auror hideout, Potter." He recognized the man who handed him the potion to be Snape.

Harry gasped and looked around after finding his glasses on the table beside him, "I'm…I'm back?"

Snape nodded, then leaned forward in the chair beside Harry's bed and stared at him hard, "What did you see? How far in the future did you go?"

Harry tried to think back, making his headache stronger; he ran a hand through his hair and massaged his scalp, trying to remember.

It all came back in flashes.

Waking up and seeing a twenty-seven year old Draco cooking breakfast.

A grey-haired Snape.

Looking up Futurus Verisimilis in the potions log.

Exploring his new room.

Getting questions answered by his…brother…

His head snapped back to Snape, eyes wide.

"I was…I was ten years into the future…and-and I was in this house…and you were there, and Draco and-"

Snape held up a hand, "Wait, Potter. Why were we all in the same house?"

"Because…" Harry gulped hard, "Because you adopted- uh…adopt, I guess…both of us…"

Snape leaned back in his chair, looking to be contemplating this information; then nodded, and said, "Well, go on. What else? Did you learn anything of the war?"

Harry nodded, trying desperately to remember all the details of his and Draco's conversation, "Well…we won." He gave a little half shrug.

Snape sighed and rested his head on the back of the chair, slumping his shoulders in a very uncharacteristic way.

Harry chuckled slightly, "It was a big relief for me too."

Snape nodded, almost smiling; then stopped himself, cleared his throat while sitting back up, then said, "Is there anything else?"

Harry scratched the back of his head, "Well…I was wondering….how long does the Futurus Verisimilis potion last? The future- well…you, only told me that it's a sort of time-teleportation potion."

Snape nodded, straightening up his back and setting into Professor mode, "Futurus Verisimilis was created by Ima Frek, a previously contained loon who always seemed to escape being held captive. Frek invented this potion exactly for that effect, he would go back in the past and tell his past-self when and how to escape. He didn't like being kept in a padded room and even claimed that confinement made him crazy."

Snape shrugged, "I've always wondered how anyone can believe that claim when he was put into confinement for trying to eat the asphalt off a street."

Harry snorted.

Snape half grinned, cleared his throat again, then got back to business, "Back to the point, Futurus Verisimilis usually works gradually. The first day you get transported into whatever number of years into the future according to how much you drink and you stay there for precisely one day; but, if you subtract the hours that it takes you to be transported to that time…I'd say you stay there about roughly twelve hours. Then you return to your time and stay for twelve hours, then you go back to the future and stay for a whole week. This time frame is then mirrored in your own time; until you are teleported to the future for a whole month. _That_ is when the potion wears off."

Harry held up a hand, "Wait…so, if I stay the first time for one day, then the second for seven, then the third for fourteen, fourth for…twenty eight, fifth for-"

Snape held up a hand, "That's when it stops; the fourth time you're transported."

Harry held his head, "But…that's like……fifty days!"

Snape shook his head, "You forget to add the days that you return to our time."

Harry stared at Snape with wide eyes.

"You mean…"

Snape nodded solemnly, "You fluctuate between times for a total of one-hundred days."

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"So…the past-me was teleported to our time?" Harry asked, his voice weighted with worry.

Draco and Snape nodded.

"Well…you…you didn't tell him anything did you?" Harry asked, an edge to his voice.

Severus started to shake his head, then noticed the look on Draco's face.

He shared a look with Harry and they both turned to Draco, who was looking to the floor with great interest.

"Draco…?" Severus asked in that 'what did you do?' tone.

Draco shrugged, "Nothing. I did absolutely nothing."

Harry tilted his head, scrutinizing him, "You never were a good liar since we became family, brother. What did you tell me?"

Draco half-shrugged, moseyed his way to the couch and sat on the armrest, picking at a loose string, "Oh…nothing of importance."

"Draco!" Harry said, griping his hair, "You could have altered our lives!"

Draco sighed, "Wouldn't they be different already?"

Harry pointed a warning finger at him.

"Boys…" Severus said weakly.

They immediately turned to him.

He was looking around the room, which they had just noticed to not be the one they were in previously.

"Draco, see what you did?" Harry chided, "Now we're back at-"

"How did we end up in Snape manor?"

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Ooooh. Makes you wonder what the past-Harry does to make them live at Snape's old house.

The more you review, the longer the chapters. Adou.


	7. A Vision of War

Thank you for the awesome reviews! This chapter gets a little dark, I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: All the wisely-spun characters belong to J. K. Rowling.

Warning: Gore.

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**He was looking around the room, which they had just noticed to not be the one they were in previously.**

**"Draco, see what you did?" Harry chided, "Now we're back at-"**

**"How did we end up in Snape manor?"**

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Harry gripped the sheets tightly in his fists, holding them up to his chin.

Tonight he would black out, either that or fall asleep, and end up in the future again.

He was afraid.

_What if I've changed something about the future with what I know?_ He wondered, eyes staring up at the ceiling.

He hadn't taken his glasses off; he hadn't even taken his clothes off and change.

No, Harry was too nervous.

_What if….what if Voldemort came to power?_

Harry would be taken and killed, severing any hope of defeating the future dictator in the first place.

He sighed shakily, then stopped in mid-sigh and snapped his head towards the door.

A shadow cast across the wide sliver of light that came from the stairwell.

Harry had been given an extra bed in Snape's room upstairs.

_To keep a monitoring eye on you_, as he was told.

The shadow grew larger, enveloping the light until it was blocked out completely.

Harry's eyes shot open as far as they would go, trying to still be able to see his surroundings…and maybe even glimpse whatever was turning the doorknob.

The knob turned agonizingly slow.

Harry's eyes watered as they dried out, yet he still did not blink.

He did not dare.

A blink was all it took.

_A flash of green…_

Harry cringed, shutting his eyes bolt-tight and scrabbling at his forehead.

Another searing stab burned his scar.

It felt like someone was jamming a hot poker through his head.

He screamed, arching off the bed at the incredible pain.

It had _never_ hurt this badly.

The knob had stopped turning completely at Harry's scream, then the door burst open and a figure ran to his bedside.

"_Harry…"_ He heard a faint voice call.

Hands held his shoulders down, and a soothing voice tried to calm him.

His breathing became erratic gasps as the searing pain in his scar dulled to a pulsing throb.

Harry barely noticed the pain ebbing; he was falling away from the soft mattress and spiraling into a dark abyss.

Snape shook the unconscious boys' shoulders, "Harry?" He whispered softly.

He sighed.

"He's already gone."

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Harry opened his eyes, expecting to find himself looking at the inside of a house or down a street or at anyplace or thing other than what he _was_ looking at.

It either was some form of teleportation-jetlag or he didn't have his glasses on, everything was in wisps.

"Oh God…Voldemort's come to power…" He gasped, raising a shaky hand to brush nervously through his hair.

But this couldn't be when Voldemort ruled….it looked too bizarre; there was no solid color.

Everything was faded, and the color seemed to be blown about by powerful winds like they were made of water.

Harry looked around him, noticing a dull landscape made of bushes, dirt, and plenty of hills.

"Hello-o-o?" Harry's voice echoed, being carried away by the winds.

He turned to the nearest hill and ran towards it, maybe he would see someone.

Now that was strange, even his footsteps echoed.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks as he scrambled to the top.

He swallowed the sour taste over and over again in his mouth, resisting the urge to vomit.

Across the plain before him was a battle-field.

Dead bodies littered the ground and had soaked the land with so much blood that the little grass there was appeared to be deep red.

Harry clamped a hand to his mouth; the stench of decay had reached his nostrils.

They had been here for awhile…

Swallowing the bile threatening to choke him, Harry slowly looked over the plain, over the bodies, and to the hill on the other side.

He could have sworn…

Yes! There it was again.

A flash of red, a flash of green, and blue, and white, and red green white green red white…

Whatever war this was, it was still going on.

Being sure to keep his hand over his mouth, Harry quickly made his way down the hill, being careful to step around the bodies.

His pace became quicker and more frantic.

He had to look down to avoid the bodies…and so he had to see them…see their pallid and haunting faces, dull eyes protruding and clouded, dried blood crusted everywhere.

Harry turned his head from the torso of a muggle who had been sliced clean in half.

He walked faster.

His eyes then fell on a wizard, with tattered muscle hanging out from his battered arm.

Harry whipped his head away, eyes burning with tears from the stench and from a feeling that was swelling up in his chest.

He tripped over a centaur that he did not see in time and landed on something soft.

Harry spit out the vomit from his mouth and threw himself off the leg of a giant.

Where the rest of the giant was, Harry could not see.

He wiped his mouth on his hand and gasped for air, it was starting to be difficult to breath.

Coughing and sputtering, Harry made a beeline for the hill, jumping and tripping and scrambling over bodies or parts; trying desperately to get away from this hell.

He threw himself on the edge of the hill, free from the bodies, and gasped and choked and coughed, pulling his knees up to his forehead and catching his breath, collecting his nerve.

After a few minutes, Harry lifted his head and rubbed madly at his arms.

They were covered with blood.

Harry wiped at his face, his hand was red.

He looked down at his pants.

Red.

Harry pulled his foot up, but there was no need.

His shoe was soaked.

Harry yanked his shoes off, tore his shirt over his head and was reaching for his jeans when he heard it.

Yelling, growling, screaming, and explosions.

He threw down his blood-covered clothes and crept up the hill, lifting his head high enough to see over it, but not be seen.

People were still fighting.

And that was how you would describe them: people.

They were not only wizards, or muggles, or centaurs, or giants, or even werewolves.

_All_ of them were fighting.

The wizards and witches, dark and light alike, were throwing spells and curses pell-mell across the plain, aiming with astounding precision; the muggles were using deadly weapons: machine-guns, knives, grenades, even bombs; centaurs were organizing themselves into groups, charging and plowing through a certain cluster of the dark wizards and witches; the giants were mostly pitted against each other, having occasionally chosen different sides, otherwise slamming and swinging their powerful, meaty fists at the tiny ones below; the occasional werewolf gnawed and bit and chomped and snapped at whomever they were against, most were attacking the centaurs, snapping a their legs and batting with large, dangerous paws at their chests.

Harry could not even try to count their numbers.

This war was large, and terrible.

"Where am I?" Harry whispered, eyes darting around the terrible scene before him.

"AVADA-"

His head snapped in the direction that this scream came from, the middle of the plain.

Everyone stopped fighting and stared at that spot.

"KAD-"

He knew this curse well.

"EV-"

Squinting, he saw three figures…

"RAAA!"

His eyes widened, suddenly Voldemort was before him, eyes blazing red and teeth barred in a crazy and wicked smile; wand pointed in his direction.

Draco was beside him, he turned to Harry and smiled a sad 'so this is how it ends, brother' smile as the green light enveloped them.

This smiletore him apart.

Harry woke up gasping, his eyes shooting open and hands grasped firmly at the sides of the table.

Table?

He looked around him.

Harry seemed to be eating lunch with an older looking Hermione, Ron, Snape, and Draco.

He ran a hand through his hair, a habit that was steadily forming when he was nervous or edgy.

"Harry, son, are you alright?" Snape asked worriedly.

Harry gave him a tight smile in return and nodded stiffly.

"Um…I've got to…" He kicked Draco's shin under the table ("OW!"), "go to the loo, I'll…be right back."

He quickly pushed back on the chair and headed to the nearest hallway, turning to the left and stopping, waiting for Draco; also partly because he didn't know where he was.

Harry heard Draco give an excuse as well and motioned him over once he came out into the hall.

Draco walked up to Harry with a very confused expression, "What is it?"

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, "It's ME." He stressed, hoping that he wouldn't have to explain.

Draco's eyes widened in recognition, "_Younge_r _Harry_?"

Harry nodded.

"Why are you back?" Draco asked.

"I'm going to be switching back and forth from this time and mine for a period of one-hundred-bloody-days." Harry explained.

Draco raised his eyebrows, "That's awhile."

He could only nod.

"Well…why don't you go shopping with me? I can explain things to you during the trip." Draco suggested.

Harry shrugged, might as well get caught up.

_"AVADA KADEVRAAA!"_

_The war..._

Draco had turned to go, but stopped as Harry's hand griped his shoulder.

"Wait, Draco…how do you know…if you're a seer?"

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I feel terrible to end it like that, but hopefully a new chappy will be up tomorrow. If you uh...review...(hint, hint) (wink, wink)


	8. Author's Note Important if Confused

OK. So the last chapter was pretty confusing, I know. I am going to use this Author's Note to explain it to you before your brain explodes.

The key thing to remember is that Futurus Verisimilis means '_likely_ future', not '_the_ future'.

Another thing, what Harry's vision was about was _his_ future, not the likely-future-Harry's past.

Got it?

So, the visions that Harry will have (yes, there will be more) will change according to the information that he learns while in the likely-future due to the Futurus Verisimilis potion.

Ok? Ok.


	9. Horizont Alley & More Info

About time I posted another chappy, right? I've been digging around for support for some of my theories (HP, of course) and that has taken up some time. There are seven of my theories that will be included in this story, but I'm not going to tell you what they are until I finish. .

What fun would it be if I told you right now?

Disclaimer: None of the Harry Potter characters are mine, they belong to J. K. Rowling.

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**Draco had turned to go, but stopped as Harry's hand gripped his shoulder.**

**"Wait…how do you know…if you're a seer?"**

This caught Draco's attention.

He stared with a fixed gaze, eyes unblinking…almost, cloudy.

Harry's brow creased briefly, searching his empty-looking eyes.

"What is it?" Harry asked quietly with trepidation.

Draco shook his head slightly, eyes coming back into focus and then looked at Harry, "Nothing." He said, tight-lipped, after a pause. "It's nothing."

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"So, why exactly are you going to tell me more information?" Harry asked once more as they made their way out the door.

Draco sighed in exasperation.

"You never know what might help you."

"Or hurt you." Harry snorted.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Cynic."

"Optimist."

"Thank you." Draco replied, grinning.

Finally looking around him, Harry noticed the capaciousness of the Snape family lawn.

He gaped, "It's…it's like a giant garden…"

Draco chuckled, "Nasty place for gnomes, though. Flighty little buggers."

Flowers were everywhere.

Roses, tulips, daisies, and even lilies in a pond that was set off in a little grove that Harry had just managed to peek into from behind a yew tree.

Hedges surrounded the place, like a maze, and grew to about Harry's hip.

The ground was not paved, but small, perfectly rounded pebbles coated the ground in obviously spelled perfection.

The walk to the end of the drive was long, but it gave Harry enough time to soak it in.

Manors, he recently deducted, must be not quite so unlike Hogwarts.

Magic was coated in layers so thick the warm summer air was almost choking.

Harry loosened his tie.

Magic rippled off his skin and bathed him with tingles, it would be impossible not to notice the great power in this place.

Harry turned back to the manor, having made it to the road from the long trek down the hill; the Snape manor stood majestic atop it.

He shook his head, how could something of such caliber remain unnoticed by passerby?

Surely they at least felt the warm, tingling breeze; positively bathing you in magic, protective magic, _home_ magic.

"Harry!" Draco called, voice dulled by the distance that had come between them, "The bus is here, come on then!"

Reluctantly, Harry turned from the house, still being warmed by the exuding homely magic, and walked briskly to the bus that was filled with impatient occupants.

"Hmph. 'Bout toime ya codger." An extremely fat man said from the drivers' seat.

Harry grimaced.

Apparently Vernon wasn't the fattest person on Earth.

_Hm…I owe Ron a sickle… _

Harry sat down next to Draco in a, surprisingly, comfy seat.

Draco smirked as the driver closed the doors and pulled a toggle, "Hold on."

Before Harry could raise an eyebrow, the bus lurched forward and continued at a break-neck pace.

He fumbled for his seatbelt, then, finding it, fastened it tight; not wanting a replay of that one time on the night-bus.

_Wait… _

Harry turned his head to Draco, who answered his question without him asking, "The new teleportation systems are a combination of both muggle technology and wizard magic. Cars were made to fly, though are only permitted to do so in registered areas; there was an accident once that was so terrible they had to make that law, but it's too long a story to go into…"

Harry raised an eyebrow and smirked, being able to see Vernon as the driver of one of the flying cars that caused the accident, but then he wouldn't touch a magical car with a twenty-foot pole.

"Anyway," Draco continued, bracing himself against the seat in front of him when the bus gave an unexpected lurch, "The night-bus was thought to be a brilliant idea for worldwide transportation use, and the magic for it was made into another form called the day-bus. There are countless numbers. Day-bus' and night-bus' made taxis obsolete. The flying cars, along with the other added extras due to magic, outdated normal cars. You never see a normal one anymore. Never."

Harry shook his head, smiling at how wonderful a magic and muggle united world sounded, "Wow…"

Draco grinned, "Just wait until we go shopping."

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"I guess we're going to Diagon Alley?" Harry said, jumping down from the steep steps of the day-bus.

He barely avoided getting his jacket caught in the door before the bus gave a magical lurch and disappeared.

Draco turned with a very contagious smile on his face.

"Yes, Harry. We're going to Diagon Alley." He said mysteriously, turning the corner into a small-looking alley.

Harry scratched the back of his head, puzzled, then followed Draco into the small-looking alley.

What did he mean by…?

Harry gaped, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to speak.

This was _not_ a small alley.

It was…it was…

"Harry," Draco said, spreading his arms in a dramatic way, "Welcome to Horizont Alley."

Harry blinked. This was unbelievable.

He blinked again, thinking it all would go away.

It didn't; if anything, it became more pronounced than before.

Draco chuckled, "Let me show you around."

Horizont Alley was even better than Diagon Alley, well, if you liked to look at more diverse things all in one place.

That was the perfect way to describe this alley, diverse.

Harry looked to his left, a broom shop had the newest broom out on display.

Like all his trips to Diagon Alley, little faces were against the glass peering with awe.

"The new Nimbus two-thousand seven!" One of them gasped, fogging up the window.

Harry chuckled, and then looked to his right…Old Navy?

"This is so strange…"

Draco laughed, "Horizont Alley is the poster child of the whole unity with muggles idea. You won't find a more diverse alley in all of Britain; not even Vertic Alley can compare."

Another Alley he didn't know…

"How many are there?" Harry asked, staring at a passing cart that had Weasley Wizard Wheezes on one side, and Bertie Botts on the other.

"Four." Draco said, taking out a piece of paper from his pocket that had a list, "Let's see…ah. Groceries first."

They walked down the crowded alley, it still had the look and feel like Diagon Alley, but…it was just different.

You look one way, and you see children in wizard robes in front of American Eagle.

Look the other way, and you see jean-clad children in front of Madam Malkins.

Harry shook his head with a smile, and then stumbled as he bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sor-"

He froze, staring into a familiar face behind a conspicuous hood.

Their eyes widened, then immediately tugged the hood around their face more and bolted through the crowd.

Harry started to breathe raggedly, feelings swelled and stuck in his chest and throat, making him feel heavy and need to choke.

He narrowed his eyes and clinched his teeth together grinding them with absolute fury.

Like lightning, Harry catapulted through the crowd, careful to avoid bumping into anyone too hard.

His feet pounded like the heartbeat in his ears, always keeping the hooded man in sight.

He was getting closer.

Harry's quarry stopped before he ran into a cart being pushed by a muggle, and then shoved his way through the crowd, looking back nervously to the man chasing him.

Harry ran past the muggle with the cart and searched for the hooded figure.

He wasn't in sight.

Wait…in that side alley!

Harry's feet flew, energized by the hot anger coursing through his veins.

He turned into the side alley, slowing down as he looked around the dead-end space and noticed-

"There's no one here…" Harry said to himself, running a hand through his hair and taking in gulps of air.

He leaned his back against the cool brick, sliding down until he sat on the cobblesone.

Harry rested his forehead on his knees, still breathing heavily.

The anger had ebbed away and left him with a hallow feeling.

He had let him get away again.

Harry clinched his teeth together, anger and desperation caught in his throat like bile, he choked back a sob.

Tears prickled the corners of his eyes and his slammed his fist against the opposite wall with an anguished cry, splitting his knuckles and breaking a bone.

He couldn't notice the pain, the aching in his heart was much more prominent.

Harry pulled his knees towards him and cried, shoulders shaking and chest racking with sobs.

A face leered at him in his minds eye.

_The lumpy-looking man giggled, "Dumbledore cornered!" _

Harry's eyes shot open, the image dissipated.

He would not…no, _could_ _not_ watch that memory again.

Never that memory…

"Harry?" A worried voice called from just outside the alley.

Harry sniffed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, not looking at Draco.

Shoes came into his vision, and then Draco squatted and sat in front of him.

"What happened?" He asked, brow creased and brother-protector-face on.

Harry gave a half shrug, looking at his knees and picking at the small hem on his pants.

Draco sighed, and then slid back so that he could sit more comfortably with his back against the wall.

"Well, now that we're out of the open, why don't I tell you more about what's happened." Draco said, half because it might cheer Harry up.

This got Harry's attention, but he gave a sniff and shrugged his shoulders as if he wasn't interested.

Draco shook his head, grinning, "Alright brother, if you don't want to know than I wo-"

"Wait, no. I…I do want to know, sort of…but…just don't tell me anything that might…change…something." Harry said, wary of what their conversation might bring.

Draco nodded in understanding, "Well…I don't really know what to tell you now that we're actually talking about this…"

Harry then remembered his previous question that went unanswered, "Why do we not have wives?"

Draco sucked in a breath; he had been dreading this question.

Avoiding Harry's eyes, he answered, "During the Great Wizarding War, you were engaged to be married almost as soon as the War was over." He gave a small laugh, "Your fiancé argued with you over this, saying that you both should be married right away before one of you…" Draco swallowed; he could never say any form of the word 'die'.

"Anyway," He continued, trying to avoid the awkwardness, "She was…she didn't make it through the war." Draco finished, finally looking up at Harry.

"Oh." Harry didn't know what to think or feel, he didn't even know who it was.

"So, who was my fiancé?" He asked, half dreading the name that would leave Draco's lips.

Draco shook his head, "I don't know if I should tell you that…"

Harry nodded with a tight-lipped smile, and went back to picking at the small hem on his pants.

"Do I know her?" He asked quietly, going through a list of names in his head.

Draco took in another breath, debating whether or not to tell him, "You know her." He answered just as quietly.

Harry looked up, eyebrows creased, "It's…oh no, it's not…"

Draco nodded, not even having to use legimins.

Harry went to run a hand through his hair, but his wrist was grabbed by Draco, "What did you do?"

He asked with clear concern.

Harry looked down at his bleeding knuckles, "Taking out frustration on a wall." He deadpanned.

Draco began to chuckle, then Harry joined in and they both just laughed.

Sometimes all you can do is laugh, even if nothing is funny.

The weight on his chest left Harry once he'd finished laughing, the encounter with a certain death-eater currently forgotten.

"So, brother." Draco said as they both stood up and dusted off their pants, "Why did you run off all the sudden?"

Harry looked up, eyes going wide with remembrance, "I saw a death-eater."

Draco gave him a look that clearly said, 'What are you talking about, barmy?'

"Harry, all of the death-eaters are either dead or in Nabakza." Draco said, somewhat sounding like he was talking to a five-year-old.

"Nabakza?" Harry questioned.

"It's the new Azkaban." Draco shrugged.

"Hm." Harry then shook his head and said with resolution, "I know what I saw."

"Harry," Draco said, almost soothingly, "That's impossible."

Harry sighed with impatience, desperation welled up in his chest again, "You have to believe me, I _know_ that I saw Amycus."

Draco shook his head and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, which was immediately brushed off, "Now that is _really_ impossible. Amycus was given the Dementor's kiss when he was caught trying to free some captive death-eaters."

"Let's go back and tell Snape." Draco suggested, not wanting Harry to be mad at him for not believing that he saw Amycus. "Maybe he'll know what this is about."

Harry nodded, hoping that Snape would be on his side.

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"Well, this is an interesting turn of events." Snape said, leaning back in his chair and taking back in what Harry had told.

Ron and Hermione had left a little after Harry and Draco had gone shopping.

They were suspicious of Harry's actions during their visit, but more worried and left their concerns.

Snape, Draco, and Harry were sitting down in the family room on leather chairs.

Each had their own.

Snape's was black, Draco's green, and Harry's red.

Harry didn't even have to guess which one was his.

"I think I know what happened…" Snape said after contemplating.

"What?" Harry asked eagerly, leaning forward in his chair.

"Futurus Verisimilis has a rare side effect."

"S-side effect?" Harry stuttered, thinking of all the terrible medicine commercials he had heard.

"Harry," Snape said, sitting forward in his chair and looking directly at him, "Amycus- what you saw…was a hallucination."

Harry blinked, "A hallucination? …but it was so real…"

Snape took a breath, "Futurus Verisimilis is a very tricky potion, and sometimes…it can cause extreme hallucinations. You can often find yourself in a situation that doesn't even exist."

Harry ran his left hand, the one not bandaged, through his hair, "Fan-bloody-tastic."

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one hopefully will be up tonight...or...actually early tomorrow morning. hehe...


	10. Child Dumbledore?

Sorry for the wait. For some reason it wouldn't let me upload the new chappy. I really like this one! I hope that you do as well.

Disclaimer: None of the HP characters or anything HP belong to moi, they are Rowlings.

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**Harry blinked, "A hallucination? …but it was so real…"**

**Snape took a breath, "Futurus Verisimilis is a very tricky potion, and sometimes…it can cause extreme hallucinations. You can often find yourself in a situation that doesn't even exist."**

**Harry ran his left hand, the one not bandaged, through his hair, "Fan-bloody-tastic."**

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Harry sighed, trying to ignore the consistent throbbing in his right hand.

Without his consent, Harry's eyes fluttered closed; the wariness of off-and-on sleeping patterns finally beating his strong reserve.

Green….everything was green, reflecting the light coming from a pedestal in the middle of a lake; the lake was in a cave, the rough walls casting shadows.

Harry found himself sitting down in front of the pedestal, a weight in his lap.

He looked down into the bright blue eyes, reflecting green, of a small boy with auburn hair.

The little boy was crying.

Harry didn't know what to do.

He patted the little boy's back, trying to sooth him.

"Sssh. Sshhhh. It's alright."

The boy's cries didn't let up, he sobbed and sniffed and clung to Harry's robes.

Wishing that he could do something more, Harry noticed a cup in his hands.

Maybe some drink will make the boy stop crying.

He lifted the auburn-haired child into his arms and propped him up, "Here, drink this. Ssshh. It's alright." He said soothingly.

The child looked trustingly at Harry and placed his little hands on both sides of the cup, drinking as Harry had instructed.

But after drinking the whole contents, the child seemed to get worse, he kicked and screamed and cried, beating his little fists on Harry's chest.

He was wailing as if in great pain.

Harry looked around, trying to find something to help the child.

There was more drink in the cup now.

Desperate to do something, Harry urged the cup to the boy's lips, he drank.

The child flung the cup into the water, disturbing the inhabitants.

The water started the churn.

Harry was forced to look away from the water when the child pulled Harry's face towards him and said in a voice not befitting a five-year old, "KILL ME!"

Harry's eyes widened, for it was not the face of a child he was looking at, but of a wrinkled, bespectacled, white-bearded face.

Dumbledore.

Harry pushed himself away from Dumbledore, who was still crying and screaming for Harry to kill him.

His breath became erratic and short, his head became like a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Still backing away from Dumbledore, Harry's hand broke through water, ice-cold water.

Losing his balance, Harry fell back into the dark lake.

Faces leered at him, muscle floating where they had been cut, eyes hallow and greatly clouded and staring at him; with clothes and hair whipping all about.

Harry tried to close his eyes, but he could not; he had no control.

The breath was leaving him, and he couldn't swim back to the surface.

The bodies of the Inferi closed in around him, waiting for the life to leave him.

But then a bright light of crimson and gold erupted from in front of Harry.

The Inferi scattered, screeching like mer-folk, Harry tried to clamp his hands on his ears, but remained immobilized; there was not enough strength in him to move.

The water was gone, and Harry was left standing on a pedestal in the air, his hair and clothes being blown about by the mighty phoenix in front of him.

Fire encircled them both, lighting the cave and making it red instead of green.

It was Fawkes.

Tears blurred his vision as Harry tried to reach out to the bird, to stroke his feathers and be comforted, but Fawkes flew away from his touch, back into the air.

Harry woke up gasping, sobbing and drying his tears on the shoulder of the person holding him.

Not caring who it was, Harry hugged them tighter, burying his face in the warmth and comfort of their embrace.

He only vaguely noticed that they smelled of peppermint and something burnt.

It was a homely smell, and made Harry relax, calming down to where his sobbing became sniffing.

Harry started to drift as a soothing hand rubbed his back, comforting him to where he no longer sniffed, the image of his nightmare faded.

As the darkness of sleep started to overtake him, Harry only barely noticed a faint and clear voice lightly singing a haunting tune.

_And Odo the hero, they bore him back home_

_To the place he had known as a lad._

_They laid him to rest with his hat inside out,_

_And his wand snapped in two, which was sad._

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Harry sighed in contentment, light was nagging at his eyelids to open, but he didn't consent.

He was much too comfortable.

Sighing again, Harry buried his face in the soft warmth beside him, wanting to sleep all day.

A deep voice chuckled, "I don't believe he wants to get up this morning."

Another voice joined the chuckling; it was deep as well, but more light and clear, less rumbling than the first.

The soft warmth beside him moved away from Harry, who groaned in protest.

"Come Harry, you must have breakfast sometime. It's already noon."

Harry rubbed at his eyes, yawning loudly.

"Watif I don' wan't get up." Harry slurred, eyes still contentedly closed and body relaxing back into the mattress.

The bed sagged with the weight of another body, which was jumping up and down, making the bed bounce and waking Harry further.

He groaned again and grabbed a pillow to put over his head, but the bouncing body snatched it and whacked him in the face with a mocking laugh.

"You blighter!" Harry yelled, "Give me my pillow back!"

He threw off the covers and quickly snatched his glasses up off the table, putting them securely on his face and then catapulting about the room after Draco.

Draco was pretty fast, but Harry was faster.

They ran around the room, like children in adult bodies.

It made Severus chuckle from the doorway.

The two boys/men catapulted through the doorway to the bathroom, skidding slightly on the marble floor, then gaining friction and stumbling into Draco's room where they proceeded to the dining room.

Severus stayed in the hallway where it was safe.

Draco and Harry dashed back and forth around the chairs in the dining room until Harry dived under the table and tripped Draco to the floor where they began a tug-of war with the pillow.

"Give up you heathen!" Harry yelled dramatically, fighting the grin that was trying to form.

"Never, blaggard!" Draco yelled just as dramatically, the grin plastered on his face.

"Boys, boys!" Severus scolded from the kitchen, "Don't upset my china."

"Yes, mum." They both chorused.

Severus sighed and went back to the kitchen to make breakfast, putting a protective spell on his mothers' china cabinet to put his heart at ease.

"Ow!" Harry yelled, letting go of the pillow and cradling his bandaged, right hand.

Draco let go of the pillow, "You alright there, brother?" He asked worriedly.

Harry nodded, "I'm fine." He rubbed his sore knuckles, "I shouldn't use my hand much though."

Smelling bacon and sausage, both of them grinned and got up; Harry aided by Draco.

Severus handed them each their plate and they trekked back to the dining room.

"So, I hope nothing was broken in your tussle." Severus started, giving Draco a stern look.

Draco shrugged as if to say, 'it wasn't my fault!'

"No, d- um…Severus, it was just my hand." Harry said uncomfortably, not able to call Severus 'dad' yet, "It's not all the way healed yet and it just bothered me."

Turning from his professor's gaze, Harry picked up his fork and stabbed at his eggs, the images of the child-Dumbledore screaming for him to kill him flooding back.

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Yes, this one was pretty short, but I promise you a really long one next time!

Which, unfortunately, won't be until this weekend I think, because I have to write a story for my English class. Isn't that awesome? Makes me happah! XD


	11. How did I get to Hogwarts?

I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so incredibly sorry for not posting for so long! I feel terrible. So, here is a nice long chappy for you.

Disclaimer: None of the HP characters or places are mine, they are Rowlings.

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**Turning from his professor's gaze, Harry picked up his fork and stabbed at his eggs, the images of the child-Dumbledore screaming for him to kill him flooding back.**

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That night Harry found himself staring up once again at the, now familiar, ceiling; pondering everything that had happened.

_So…I'm under the Futurus Verisimilis potion and am currently fluctuating between a real world and a possible one… _

_Sod… _

_Then there are the visions that haunt my dreams… _

_Double sod… _

_And, of course, on top of all that are the side effects of the potion that cause complete fabrications to last for who knows how long… _

_Triple sod… _

_This isn't a very brilliant time in my life. _

Harry sighed and rolled over to his side, then sighed again and picked up his glasses from off the dresser, placed them securely on his face, threw back the covers and tentatively placed his feet on the hard-wood floor.

It wasn't as cold as he thought it would be.

Lightly padding over to the end of his four-poster, Harry walked around it to the other side wall where the enchanted torch was.

It light up with a red flame at his touch.

Careful at where the light reached, Harry made his way out his bedroom door and down the green, red, and black rug to the stairs.

He needed some fresh air.

"Harry?" A lazy voice yawned from a darkened doorway.

Harry jerked the torch in that direction.

"Woah woah. Easy. Don't melt my face off." A disgruntled Draco complained, joining Harry out in the hallway.

"Sorry, I was just going for a walk." Harry apologized, avoiding looking directly at Draco as he always had done, afraid of the years that would show.

"Why do you never look at me?" Draco questioned, chuckling.

Harry shook his head impatiently and continued walking, but now with a faster pace.

"Oi, wait up."

Harry walked faster, knowing that Draco might catch up to him, the lines on his face like a haunting memory of past times; of times of war and loss.

Harry always ran from faces of memory.

He couldn't stand memories anymore.

Before he knew it, he was running; the lazy wind from his great speed whipped at his hair and the torch, making the red flame writhe.

"HARRY STOP!"

But Draco's yell was too faint.

Harry tripped on one of the yew tree's roots, pulling his ankle roughly and getting a face full of dirt.

He coughed and sputtered, wiping the grimy and gritty foul-tasting stuff from his nose, glasses, and mouth.

The torch had been put out by the wind.

Everything glowed mysterious blue and haunting green, illuminated by the pond that was swimming with color.

Harry squinted his eyes confusedly at it.

Surely this was no normal pond.

Expecting to hear Draco approach with running feet, Harry was surprised to hear nothing.

"Draco?" He called out, twisting his torso so he could see out of the small opening in the hedge.

Draco was nowhere to be seen.

A haunting voice hummed a familiar tune from the direction of the water.

Harry turned his head; the water looked the same, swirling with calming colors and radiating blue and green.

The voice was bell-like, clear and sounded somewhat of a child.

Harry knew this tune.

The voice repeated it, and Harry whispered the words…

"And Odo the hero, they bore him back home to the place he had known as a lad. They laid him to rest with his hat inside out and his wand snapped in two, which was sad…"

The voice silenced, but the last note lingered in the grove, echoing most strangely for an unenclosed space.

The light ebbed steadily, the last fragments of blue pulsed as the voice sighed and all returned to darkness.

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The next morning Harry didn't tell Draco or Snape about what happened.

He much preferred to keep his eyes to the floor, not speak to them at all, eat his breakfast and lunch, then return to his room where he thought about the strange occurrence.

It had plagued his mind ever since he had hobbled back to the mansion on his sprained ankle, which was quickly fixed by a swift potion from Snape.

They had noticed his detachment from them, surely, but that wasn't as important as the other thoughts in his mind.

The voice was very familiar somehow…like from a dream.

Harry lay on his back, hands behind head, on his four-poster and stared at the ceiling again.

He sighed.

It was difficult to think just staring at a ceiling.

Harry brought himself up and had to make a small jump to get off the bed, it was fairly large.

He had an adjoined bathroom to his left, so he didn't have to search the house for a steaming bath.

The water was quickly drawn, steam coming off the water in light wisps.

Harry took off his pajamas; he had worn them all day, and stepped onto the first step of seven that lead him safely into the pool-bath.

He floated contentedly for a few minutes, letting the hot water soothe his tired muscles that had become stiff from mental strain.

Lightly swimming to the side, Harry sat on one of the steps, leaning his head back and resting on the stair, looking above through the sky-light at the twinkling stars.

They had always helped him think.

_Alright…so, why was that voice at the pond humming that tune? Was it the same voice that hummed the tune after my vision? _

Harry pondered a bit, replaying tid-bits of each time that he heard that tune, and then decided the voices were not the same.

_The one at the pond was more girlish and child-like, the one after my vision sounded more like a man…was that Draco? _

A knock sounded at the door.

"Harry, are you alright?"

Harry sighed and debated whether or not to answer.

He didn't have much time before the door was opened.

"Brother, I know that you have been plagued by something all of today. Don't let it plague me as well. What ails you?" He asked, leaning against the doorpost to give Harry his privacy.

Harry sighed.

"I…I heard a voice…it was humming in the pond and…and it was the same tune that you sang." He whispered, "It gives me a strange sense of dread…of foreboding."

"It is the foreshadowing of a hero's death. It gives most that sense." Draco replied, just as quiet.

Harry turned to Draco, not just looking at the wall above his head like he had done before, but taking in every detail.

The light accentuated his sharp features, he was much like his father; high cheekbones, a refined nose, very light indication of crows-feet at his eye corners, sharp yet warm grey-blue eyes, and a pale complexion.

His platinum blond hair was shorter than his fathers, but was kept in a ponytail with wisps hanging down in his face, not primped and smoothed down like it used to be when he was younger.

Draco's thin lips curved into a smile, his few wrinkles became more pronounced, "So, you've finally accepted that you might as well live fully in this world."

Draco nodded towards the mirror, "You might want to shave."

He turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

The water had gone cold.

Harry sighed and pulled the plug with some difficulty with his toes, then got out reluctantly, his fingers and toes were wrinkled like prunes.

He grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist, and then made his way to the mirror slowly, slightly scared of the image he would see.

What had the years done to him?

Expecting some scar-chiseled, grubby-bearded, greasy-haired man not quite so unlike Mad-Eye, Harry was a bit pleasantly surprised.

He was taller, that was sure; his height would rival Ron's.

Harry's eyes were still the green they had been, but they were different in the way that they swirled with understanding of the world and its evils.

He wasn't buff, or finely chiseled; but he was lean and had broad shoulders with lightly muscled arms.

Harry turned his head to see how long his hair was, it looked just as it had before in the front at first glance, but there were some differences.

He had a small ponytail that pulled back longer bits of hair on the sides of his head just above his ears, it also held the longer portion of his head in the back.

It was then that he noticed the scruff of beard that had grown since his last shave, which he wasn't able to determine since he had only been there for almost three days.

Rubbing the stubble absentmindedly, Harry debated whether or not to shave.

Then he shook his head as if the thought was silly and opened the cabinet next to the sink and grabbed the razor.

He just stared at it, he had never shaved before.

"Trouble, dearie?" The mirror asked.

Harry looked up, "Uh…yeah, sort of."

"Not to worry, it's an enchanted razor." The mirror reassured like Harry knew what to do with this information.

"Uh…right…enchanted razor…of course…" He mumbled, looking back to the razor and just staring again.

The mirror sighed, "Just tell it how much you would like to shave."

"Well…just the beard that's trying to grow…" Harry answered uncertainly.

"So you want to shave it all?" The razor piped up, making Harry jump and almost drop it.

"Uh…yeah...I guess…"

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Severus and Draco had been setting the table and preparing for dinner while Harry was in the bathroom.

They hadn't told Harry that they would be having dinner guests over that night.

"So, how do you think he will react?" Draco asked Severus, placing the plates in their places at the table.

"Hopefully not in a negative way." Severus answered, following Draco around the table and setting down the bronze eating utensils. "If anything I believe that he will enjoy the company and come out of this new reverie that started since yesterday."

"I believe he already has." Draco replied with a smile, "He finally observed my face not too long ago when I went to check on him."

"Really? Good, very good. He should be growing accustomed to this new environment, it isn't healthy otherwise." Severus said as they finished setting the table.

It was at that precise moment that the loud and echoing bell rang.

Severus and Draco clamped their hands to their ears.

"God-forsaken bell…" Severus muttered as he returned to the kitchen to finish up the food.

Draco chuckled and walked out into the hallway towards the door, but Harry beat him to it.

"I'll get it, Draco." Harry said, being closer to the door because of the stairway.

Harry opened the large door with some difficulty, but used both hands and pushed it open.

There stood a somewhat odd couple.

Harry's eyes widened, then he grinned and threw his arms around the pair.

A grey-haired Remus chuckled and returned the embrace, "It's nice to see you too, Harry."

Tonks laughed and threw her arms around both of their necks, "Now here is where I like to be, in the arms of my two best fellows."

Harry grinned and pulled back from them, they were older, but not much changed.

Tonks' hair was an almost-shining grey, obviously made so to appease her husband with something to distract the thought of their age difference; she still had wildly sparkling eyes and had made herself taller so her nose reached her husband's chin.

Remus had more wrinkles, and looked worn; but his eyes were brighter and he was always smiling behind smart-looking wire-rimmed glasses.

"How've you two been?" Harry asked, stepping aside and allowing them to come inside.

"Brilliant, as always." Tonks answered for both of them, taking off her coat and smiling at Remus, who returned the smile and shed his coat as well.

Harry took them and put them in the closet.

"Where's Sevvy?" Tonks asked with a grin and mocking eyes.

"THE NAME IS SEVERUS, NYMPHRADORA." Severus yelled from the kitchen.

Harry and Tonks shared mischievous grins, Remus had to fight the one on his face, and then they walked to the dining room where the table was set.

Draco had just set the napkins and greeted them, "Hello Tonks, Remus."

The two smiled and nodded, "Draco."

Sensing the awkward air between the three, Harry asked, "So, who are the other guests?"

He had noticed that there were nine chairs, but Draco, he, Severus, Remus, and Tonks made five.

Who were the other four?

Draco could only grin.

Remus and Tonks went ahead and sat down after Severus came in closely after Harry finished asking his question, they all were given drinks and sat at their places at the table.

After about five minutes of pretty unsuccessful small-talk, the doorbell rang rather exuberantly throughout the house.

Tonks snickered, "Still haven't fixed that bell, eh?"

Snape ignored her and sipped on his gin.

Smiling, Harry got up, "I'll get it."

He was eager to see who the other guests were.

Harry didn't even get to glimpse the faces of the two tallest guests before a flying, frizzy, red-haired mass jumped and hugged his torso.

"Uncew Hawwy!"

Harry could only blink and stare at the little version of what looked like Hermione with red hair, and then he looked up.

He gaped.

It was Ron and Hermione!

Ron chuckled, "Nice t' see you too, mate."

Smiling somewhat embarrassedly, Harry picked up the now giggling mass of adorable two year-old and rested her on his hip where she could contentedly play with his hair.

"Sorry, it's just…I wasn't expecting you." Said Harry, trying to cover up his surprise.

"Didn't Severus tell you we were coming?" Hermione asked with a creased brow, "Well, it isn't like we never visit frequently."

"Uh…" Harry was out of excuses.

"You look nervous." Remarked a small voice from behind Ron and Hermione.

Harry blinked, "Who…?"

A little boy stepped out from behind his parents with a book in hand; he had somewhat frizzy moose-brown hair and robin's egg-blue eyes and was about four feet tall, "You were stuttering. What are you nervous for?" He asked coolly, never taking his eyes off Harry.

Harry chuckled nervously, "I'm not nervous."

"Uncew Hawwy gi cookie." Whispered the two year old on his hip, tugging at his ponytail.

"Not before dinner, young lady." Scolded Hermione, putting her hands on her hips and doing quite a fine impression of Mrs. Weasley.

The adorable girl pouted, then, seeing how it wasn't affecting her mother, turned it on Harry.

Her cute freckles and big brown eyes made Harry melt, "Oh come on Hermione, just one cookie?" Harry asked, turning to his good friend.

Hermione sighed, "You spoil her enough, Harry."

"Harry," Draco called, walking down the hallway from the dining room and joining the group, "Severus is setting the food on the table and needs extra hands."

He turned to Ron and Hermione, "Glad you could make it on time." Draco said with a coy grin.

Ron sighed impatiently, "For the last time, we were two hours late for that dinner because we couldn't find someone to watch Wulferic."

"That's your excuse Weasley." Replied Draco with a mocking smile, he then turned to the little boy who was reading his book.

"What are you reading there, Brian?" Draco asked, bending to try and see the cover.

"Vampires and their Affect on the Wizarding Laws." He replied with a smile.

Draco raised his eyebrows, "Very good read."

Brian nodded, "I'm already on chapter 23."

Harry snorted.

The little girl on his hip giggled, "Daddy says dat Bwian has a hed as biggas mommy."

Harry had to bite his lip to stop from laughing.

Hermione raised a suspicious eyebrow, she hadn't heard what her daughter said; "What was that Lily?"

Lily giggled and hid her face on Harry's shoulder.

"Let's go help Severus." Harry said, turning and heading to the kitchen.

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"That was a delicious meal, Severus." Remus remarked, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"Yes, very well cooked." Hermione added.

Ron agreed with a belch.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

Lily and Brian laughed, Harry chuckled.

"What?" Ron asked with a grin.

Hermione slapped his arm playfully, fighting the smile on her face.

"Harry," Draco asked, still lightly chuckling at Ron's rudeness, "did you ever hear about-"

Harry had gone pale, his knuckles were turning white from griping the table, and sweat beaded his forehead, his eyes were unfocused and cloudy.

Draco's voice was faint and echoing, and everything turned to a blur, "Harry-y-y?"

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Harry's eyes shot open, he gasped for air and looked frantically about.

He wasn't in the mansion anymore.

"Oy, Harry!" Neville yelled, jogging to catch up to Harry, "What're (pant pant) you (pant) doing down here?"

"What?" Harry questioned, creasing his eyebrows.

Since when had he been at Hogwarts?

Neville shook his head and grabbed Harry's arm, "Nevermind, I'll explain it to you at Gryffindor tower. Quick, the sun is going down!"

Harry, mostly pulled by Neville, ran after him to the nearest staircase.

Once they got to the second floor Neville panted, rested his hands on his knees, then gave in to exhaustion and just sat on the floor.

After both had caught their breathe, Neville got up off the floor, with a helping hand from Harry, and they continued up the stairs, mindful of the way they changed.

"So, what was the whole thing about not being on that floor?" Harry asked, noticing that all of the paintings were cramped with the first-floor portraits.

"Well," Neville started, occasionally checking behind them to make sure they weren't being followed, most likely by whatever was on the first floor, "Just a day ago Colin Creevey went walking around the lake with his camera; he was trying to take a picture of the giant squid and send it t' muggle tabloids.

"Well, he met this bloke and a group of friends who said that they were there t' see Dumbledore, important business. So, Colin broke the news to them that Dumbledore was dead, and they went crazy mad. Sneering and 'snapping their jaws', as Colin described it.

"It was horrible. Then they lashed out at him and one grazed their fangs on Colin's arm, but only grazed because the leader pulled the one vampire away-"

"So they were vampires?" Harry asked with eyes wide.

Neville nodded, "Though, because they don't have an invitation they can only stay in the hallways of the first floor. Everyone is trapped until during the day, which is when we go to get food basically. No one likes to travel on the first floor because the Vampires hide in the suits of armor to escape the light. Most of the time we take turns going to get food, today was mine, but I had to go to the bathroom."

"Where's the food, then?" Harry asked.

"In my pocket, shrunk it to save room. Never would be able to carry it all." Neville shrugged.

Harry nodded, and then looked up at the pale fat lady portrait they had just reached.

She looked fidgety and wouldn't stop fanning herself.

Neville cleared his throat, which made the poor woman jump.

"Good gracious child!" She scolded, "Your liable to give me a heart attack; especially with this vampire business." She sniffed.

"Sugar lolly." Neville said.

The portrait swung open reluctantly.

"Oy Harry!" Ron yelled, waving from his spot on the floor where he was playing chess with Seamus.

Someone had spelled the room to be larger; it was about twice the size it was before, giving them plenty of room to loiter about.

Most everyone was whispering, gossiping about whether or not there were vampires on the first floor.

_Is this all a hallucination? _

Harry wondered, walking towards Ron and Seamus and sitting down, "Hi guys."

"You hear about the vampires?" Seamus asked, "Knight to G3."

"Bloody…" Ron swore as his pawn was destroyed.

Harry nodded, "Is it really true?"

Ron shrugged, "It must be if all the professors are so worried about it, they confined us all to the common rooms. I'm tired of everybody's face." He moped.

Harry chuckled, "Way to be optimistic Ron."

"Really, Ron." Hermione scolded, crossing the room from her chair where she had been studying, "We've only been stuck in here for two days."

"Two terrible days." Ron mumbled.

"Wait…wait I have an idea…" Harry said, getting up and jogging to the boys' dorms.

Ron, Seamus, and Hermione shared a look at went after him.

Harry opened the lid to his trunk, pushing aside clothes and books, "Here," He said, pulling out the Marauders map, "I think this may help this vampire problem."

"But Harry, how will a map help send the vampires away?" Hermione questioned.

"Wow, you got her to be confused. Keep it up Harry." Ron said, quickly receiving a slap from Hermione, "Ow! Bloody he-"

He got another slap, "Stop swearing." Hermione said, and then turned back to Harry, "What's your idea?"

"Well," Harry said, taking out the invisibility cloak and tucking the map into the pocket in his jeans, "First we go down to the dungeons, I believe a pureblood will know a few tricks to get a whole group of vampires to leave."

"What about garlic?" Seamus asked, "I saw it on the Brothers Grim. Rather ridiculous actually…"

Hermione shook her head, "That will just ward them off temporarily, and we want them gone."

"What about Holy water?" Suggested Ron.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "And just where do you think we'll get our hands on Holy water? You can't exactly buy it at Hogsmeade."

"Oh…"

"Surely there is a spell, or a charm or something. And if there is, I bet you anything that the Slytherins will have it." Harry said.

"What if they don't?" Hermione asked.

"Well," Harry shrugged, "Then it's off to Ravenclaw."

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Yay! The plot is thickening. tehehehe. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and will leave a review saying how much you hate cliffie's. Weren't Lily and Brian adorable? I love them!


	12. Meeting the Vampires

Hi there. Once again, sorry for the week of no updates. My quarter exams are coming up and it's study time, so I'm going to be updating only on the weekends for about three weeks. If you've read this chappy before the repost, I hope you like the add-on.

Disclaimer: All of the HP characters, places, or anything else that I can't think of that belongs to J. K. Rowling, belong to J. K. Rowling.

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**"Surely there is a spell, or a charm or something. And if there is, I bet you anything that the Slytherins will have it." Harry said.**

**"What if they don't?" Hermione asked.**

**"Well," Harry shrugged, "Then it's off to Ravenclaw."**

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Harry felt as if he was walking in a dream.

His nerves could feel the soft fabric of the cloak, his nose could smell the rank of animals that the vampires had brought in to feed on, and he could see, and hear, everything normally; but it all seemed lightly illusory.

Every nerve, every function was nothing out of the ordinary, yet his legs bent and feet lifted and dropped as if they were on automatic, his thoughts were blurred, and whenever he spoke it was as if his mouth was not his own.

It seemed like no time at all had passed when they made it to the dungeons, and if they had even seen a vampire, Harry could not recall.

"Oh bloody hell," Ron muttered after they faced their third dead end, "We're lost, let's just give it up."

His body not allowing him to reply, Harry turned around mechanically and walked back down the previous hallway, then made a right turn. Somehow, he knew where he was going.

Left, right, left, left, right, left, and then there was the painting of Salazar, peering down at them with sneering curiosity.

"_Let us in."_

Harry said, not noticing he was talking in parseltogue.

Nodding to Harry, and lifting a disgusted lip at Ron, Hermione, and Seamus, Salazar swung open.

The Slytherin common room was even larger than the Gryffindors'; they had their own very large dining table, which they were all eating at; along with a fairly large sitting area.

Draco was at the head, obviously, and turned a curious eye to their entrance.

He stood up, and Crabbe and Goyle would have also, but they were too busy stuffing as much food in their faces as they could.

"What brings Griffins to the Snakes' pit?" Malfoy sneered.

"We need a way to make the vampires leave the castle," Harry said, moving his mouth without his consent, "and you purebloods were on the top of my list of people who would have a charm or spell for that purpose."

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Is that hero complex bothering you again, Potter?" He said with a smirk.

The Slytherins snickered.

"Got to save everyone from the big bad vampires?" Draco added, walking towards them, then stopping at about two feet, "Well I've got a bit of information for you. Give it up. There are no spells, no charms, no enchantments to make a vampire leave. Once they're invited, they stay."

Harry narrowed his eyes, "And what if they're invited to the dungeons, Malfoy?"

The smirk fell from Draco's face.

"What would your father and his colleagues think if their pureblood sons and daughters became vampires? You would all soil the pureblood names and be disowned, obviously. So, Malfoy; either help us, or stay in here until they eventually find you." He finished ominously.

Draco stiffened, then said with clenched teeth, "Like I said before, Potter. _Nothing_ can make a vampire leave."

Blaise raised a tentative hand and stood up from his place at the table, "A-actually…there is...one…way."

Harry's eyes snapped to the Slytherin, "What is it?"

Eyes shifting from the sneering Draco to the inquisitive Harry, Blaise answered quietly, "Use the…Imperious…and make them leave. So then, they can't come back in…because they have to be invited in again."

Hermione gasped, "We can't use an Unforgivable!"

Seamus nodded, "We'd all be sent t' Azkaban, we would."

"Not a teacher." Draco said somewhat with reluctance, "Get a teacher to cast it, and they'll be able to explain to the ministry that it had to be done."

Seamus shrugged, "What difference is that from a student?"

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently, "A student couldn't cast it because they wouldn't have genuine trust. The story about the vampires wouldn't be believable to them if it came from the mouth of someone who was still in school."

"Oh…"

"I see why you're a Gryffindor," Draco jeered with a smirk, "Too dumb for Ravenclaw and too careless for Hufflepuff."

Seamus clenched his teeth and lunged with a yell at the Slytherin, but Harry and Ron held him back.

"Watch it Malfoy!" Seamus yelled, eyes blazing.

"No thanks, you're not my type." Draco smirked, the Slytherins snickered.

Seamus was nearly the shade of a turnip, and his teeth were clenched so hard he could have sworn he heard a crack; steam was practically billowing from his ears.

"Steady Seam," Harry said, "He's not worth it, calm down."

Hermione stepped in front of Harry and Ron, who were still struggling to hold Seamus back, and said somewhat sternly, "Which professor do you suggest we ask to perform this…Unforgivable?"

Draco tilted up his head in a demeaning manner, smirked, and said, "Professor Snape, of course."

"Not a chance!" Ron yelled, nearly loosing grip on Seamus, "He'd sooner Avada Kedavra the Gryffindors than Imperio the vampires. We can't trust him!"

"Well that's too bad for you, isn't it? Because he's the closest, and you don't want to go waltzing around the castle for a professor with vampires loose on the main floor, do you?" Draco said.

"He's got a point, Ron…" Hermione said quietly.

Ron's ears burned red.

Harry intervened before the role of Ron and Seamus was switched, "Alright."

Ron and Seamus' heads snapped to Harry.

"We'll go find Snape, but on one condition." He continued.

Draco nodded.

"You, Blaise, and your girlfriend come with us." Harry finished.

Draco quirked an eyebrow, "And why is that, Potter?"

Before Draco knew it, a wand was in his face, right between his eyes.

"For compensation." Harry answered, grip tightening on his wand.

Draco gulped, staring nearly cross-eyed at the wand.

The Slytherins all stood up from the table and quickly made to pull out their wands, but Hermione had pulled out her own.

"Expelliarmus!"

All of their wands flew from their hands and onto the floor.

Hermione kept her wand pointed towards them, and Ron and Seamus pulled out theirs.

"Pansy, Blaise. You heard, c'mon then." Draco yelled, still staring nervously at the wand in his face.

Blaise and Pansy got up from their places with evil looks aimed towards the Gryffindors as they walked towards them.

Ron and Seamus glared right back, and walked behind them with wands at their backs out of the common room.

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"So, let me get this right, _you_ want _me_ to cast the Imperious on the vampires. And if I don't do it, you will either hurt or mortally wound some of my Slytherins?" Snape said smugly from behind his desk.

"Yeah, that's right!" Ron said boldly, sticking his wand further into Blaise's back ("Ow! Bloody bugger…")

Snape leaned forward in his chair, narrowed his eyes, and said, "No."

Ron gaped.

"Now, let my Slytherins go and return to your common room." He finished curtly, turning back to the stack of parent letters.

Harry frowned, then started to advance towards Snape's desk until Hermione stopped him.

"Harry…" She whispered, shaking her head, "I have another idea."

The Slytherins left through the door with smirks, and the Gryffindors went back under the cloak after they left the office.

"So," Harry said, stopping on the stairway that would take them to the first floor, "What was your idea, Hermione?"

"Well," Hermione said a bit uncertainly, "Why not just ask them to leave?"

"Ask them to leave!" Ron yelled, "Are you barmy, woman? In case you can't remember, they're vampires!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I really think that confronting this in a _civilized_ manner will-"

"Civilized?" Seamus yelled, siding with Ron, "They're vampires!"

"Yeah!" Ron piped in, "They'll sooner suck out your guts than talk in a 'civilized manner'!"

Harry looked up the stairs, and then slipped out from under the cloak, being unnoticed by the other three because of their rising row, and walked in a trance-like state up to the first floor.

The very first corner he turned led him straight to a vampire; he was hunched over, with his head nodding up and down.

He was eating something.

Walking closer, Harry stopped when the vampire whipped around, teeth barred and nails elongated, thinking Harry was an opposing vampire trying to take his meal.

The vampire slowly stood; his nails and fangs retracted, and his eyes turned from blood red to a deep, dark brown, so dark they were nearly black, which accentuated his nearly silver hair and pallid complexion.

"I haf vbeen vaiting for you, Harry Potter." He rasped.

Harry could only stand there, staring at the vampire with no control over what he was doing.

He might as well have been just watching the scene take place from in front of a screen.

"Vee haf vbeen vanting to talk to you, Potter. Vee haf decided to help you vith zis vor." A woman vampire said, emerging from the shadows.

Harry turned his head; this vampire had deep velvet black hair that cascaded down her back and swept the floor, and her eyes were so blue they were almost white.

"What am I to do?" Harry said, mouth moving without his consent.

"Meet us at ze Hogshead your first Hogsmeade veeseet, seventh year. You vill know vat to do zen." The man vampire said.

"What are your names? Who am I to ask for?" Harry asked, his senses starting to dull.

"I am Kappa." The woman said.

Harry could barely keep everything in focus now, and their voices were staring to fade.

"And I am Asema-a-a…" The man vampire said, his voice echoing and fading along with all of Harry's senses.

Everything went black.

The first thing that Harry was aware of was that he was lying down, the second, was that the bed was bouncing.

He soon figured out the culprit.

"Girrup Hawee! We 'aveta go soon an ah wanna say g'bye!" Lily said, still bouncing on Harry's bed.

"Haha!" Harry laughed triumphantly as he trapped the squealing two-year-old in his arms.

"Teheheheeheeee!" Lily giggled, and then played contentedly with Harry's long hair, which had been taken out of its usual ponytail,

"Why uncew Hawee gi sick?" She asked, still fiddling with the ends of his hair.

"Well…" Harry started uncertainly.

He didn't have to answer, for at that moment Ron walked in.

"Oi, mate. Glad you're up, you really had us worried there." He said, sitting down in a chair that was placed beside the bed.

"What made you act up like that?" Ron asked, picking up Lily and placing her on his lap.

Harry sat up and propped himself up on his elbow, "I've been having visions lately."

"What kind of visions?" Ron asked, picking up Lily again and placing her on his bouncing knee to distract her.

"I can't really tell…" Harry shrugged, "But the one I just had…was of vampires at Hogwarts…"

Ron shook his head, "You were just having a nightmare, I'm sure. There were never vampires at Hogwarts."

"Get some more sleep," Ron said, picking up Lily and placing her on his hip as he got up to leave, "and take a sleeping drought so you don't have another nightmare." He finished with a sympathetic smile as he walked out the door.

Harry sighed, closed his eyes, and lay back onto the pillow.

_Was it really just a nightmare?_

Harry opened his eyes.

_No, it couldn't have been…_

"It_ was _avision…I know it…" Harry whispered resolutely to himself.

"What kind of vision?" Asked a voice from the doorway.

Harry jumped, and whipped his head towards the door.

It was Hermione and Ron's son…what was his name? Brian!

Harry sighed, "It's nothing Brian, go catch up with your parents."

Brian narrowed his eyes, "I'm not just a kid, you know. You can talk to me just like my dad. I'm not a baby!"

"Brian, look, it's not that I think of you as a child who can't understand anything, it's that…" Harry sighed, "I don't…exactly…trust..you."

Brian tilted his head, "Is it a secret?"

Harry gave a half shrug, "Well…yes, a bit."

Brian narrowed his eyes curiously, "Then why were you talking with my father about it?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "I didn't exactly…tell him _specifically _about it. All he knows is that I'm having visions, same as you." Harry sighed impatiently and added quietly, "All he told me to do is take sleeping drought."

Brain sat where Ron had and placed his book on the table, staring at Harry intently, "Why don't you tell me?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, "And how could _you_ help me? Why should I tell you about what I see? You'd tattle to Hermione."

Brain bristled, "I would not!"

Harry snorted.

Brian shifted in his seat, "So what if I would, then at least, you would have some stable advice. And that's what you want, isn't it?"

"You know…I don't think I do." Harry said, after a contemplative pause.

"BRIAN! WE'RE APPARATING RIGHT NOW WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!" Ron bellowed from the lawn.

They could hear Hermione faintly, scolding him.

Harry nodded to the door.

Brian slid off the chair, searched Harry's face, and then walked to the door after hearing another bellow from his father.

Turning when he got to the door, Brian said unblinkingly, "There's something different."

Before Harry could ask him what he meant, Brian had turned back and was walking down the hall.

Sighing again, Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly, then pinched the bridge of his nose.

Now the riddle of what Brian said would plague him all of the night.

Putting his glasses back on, Harry noticed that Brian had left his book on the table.

_Vampires and Their Affect on the Wizarding Laws_

Harry opened the book due to curiosity, and slightly boredom.

_**Ch. 1: Segregation**_

**In the year 1609 vampires were officially proclaimed to be dark creatures by the Ministry. This was so because of their dark abilities and evil tendencies; which being, was their feeding on blood (see ch. 12, _Bloodsuckers Entitled only to Livestock_). As the vampires were proclaimed to be dark creatures, they were segregated to living only in Transylvania. This started a war between the wizards and the vampires that ended in 1624 when witches and wizards started being seen more frequently by muggles, which distracted the ministry so that the vampires were not watched as closely. This was a big mistake on the Ministry's part and caused vampires to escape Transylvania into various countries, mainly being Scotland. In the year 1701 vampires were banned from entering England or they would be hunted. Vampire hunting became a high paying job during that time, although eventually it died out leaving only experts who are still paid handsomely to this day by those opposed to the vampire race. Those who believe in the Vampire Independence Movement (VIM) are still petitioning for the segregation laws to be lifted because of the vampire near-extinction. Though, as the Minister says, this is only speculation because vampire sightings have become extremely rare, thus the members of VIM have no viable evidence in their possession. **

_Were they really vampires?_

Harry shook his head.

_Surely they were; they had fangs and everything._

_Unless, _said a dubious voice in the back of his head, _it was just the side-effect of the potion…and not a vision._

_Nonsense, it was a vision. It **was** a vision, it **had** to be. Why would they ask to meet during seventh year if it wasn't a vision? _

_Wait…I'm in the future…yet they knew that I'm from the past…_

"How did they know when to contact me?" Harry whispered to himself.

"What was that, lion?" Severus asked concernedly, walking into the doorway instead of going past Harry's room to his own.

"U-uh…"

_Should I tell him?_

"Tell me what?" Snape asked, creasing his brow.

Harry cringed.

_Bugger! Forgot he's a legimins…_

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(sigh) ...It feels good to make this be a bit more complete.Until saturday next, dear readers.


	13. Family Tensions

Hey there. Here is your saturday update, but the chappy is short so I'm going to be writing another one and posting it tomorrow...at least...hehe..that was my plan. But exams should be over in about...uh...three weeks..or maybe before that...I'm not absolutely sure. (mutters) Uninformative teachers...

Disclaimer: None of the HP characters or places are mine, they are J. K. Rowlings'.

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**"What was that, lion?" Severus asked concernedly, walking into the doorway instead of going past Harry's room to his own.**

**"U-uh…"**

_**Should I tell him?**_

**"Tell me what?" Snape asked, creasing his brow.**

**Harry cringed.**

_**Bugger! Forgot he's a legimins…**_

Being his usual stubborn self, Harry didn't explain it to Severus with words; opening his mind, he let his late Professor search through his visions.

Harry stared hard at the footboard of his bed, not wanting to hear what Severus might say.

Severus hadn't said a word, then he spoke softly, "Why didn't you tell me before? I can help you."

Clenching his teeth together, Harry turned his head, "_Help_ me?" He scoffed, then, turning his head, he relaxed and rested his head dejectedly on his pillow.

"No one can help me. They'll just end up dead." Harry said, holding back the tears and swallowing hard.

Concern and love flooding in him, Severus put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "Harry-"

"Don't touch me!" Harry yelled, jerking away and stumbling off the bed. "Stay _away_ from me!"

He was crying now, deep sobs threatened to rise in his chest, a choking and cold lump grew in his throat and he barely managed to sob out, "You'll just get hu-urt…"

Turning before Severus' outstretched hand could reach him, Harry ran out of the room and into the hall, nearly loosing his balance on the carpet.

His feet pounded on the floor, hot tears flooded his vision and ran freely down his face.

…_they ended up dead…_

_Sirius…_

"…no…stop it…"

He flung the front door open.

_Cedric…_

"…stop…"

_Dumbledore…_

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Harry screamed, falling to his knees beside the pond in the grove, the sobs rising in his chest.

Crying uncontrollably now, Harry pulled his knees towards him and sobbed, sniffing and drowning in guilt.

"…it was m-my…fa-ault…"

Lifting his head from his knees, Harry screamed, "_IT WAS MY FAULT_!"

Coughing, sobbing, and drowning in tears, Harry turned back to hugging his knees, his throat now hoarse and chest wracking with sobs.

_Crunch_

_Step_

_Crunch_

_Step_

"Harry?" A soft voice asked.

"Go away…" Harry whispered, clutching his knees tighter.

Draco knelt beside him and forced Harry's eyes to meet his, "No. Dad and I will never leave you. You're part of our _family_, Harry. We're not going to leave you."

Shaking his head slightly, Harry wiped the still-flowing tears and looked to the ground, "I don't have any family…" He whispered, pushing down the swelling sobs.

"Then what are we then?" Draco asked, slightly scolding, "What would you call Severus and I?"

Harry's breath hitched and he turned to Draco, "Just another pair of good people who will end up dying for me…"

Tilting his head and eyes filling with compassion, Draco said, "You're wrong, Harry. We're your family. _Your_ family. Do you want to know why?"

Harry's eyes started to fill up with new tears and he swallowed against the swelling and heavy sobs.

"Because we love you, brother."

Harry couldn't fight off the sobs this time, they wracked his chest and tears were flowing freely again.

Draco wrapped soothing arms around him, letting Harry cry onto his shoulder and be filled with warm comfort.

Harry hugged Draco back with a strong grip.

"Don't worry," Draco whispered soothingly, "I'm not going anywhere."

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_The next day..._

Ron sighed.

He had been looking over and perfecting some Quidditch plays for his match the next day.

Ron sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose, "This is too bloody tiring." He whispered to himself, running a hand through his hair.

A pair of slim arms wrapped around his shoulders and someone kissed his cheek, "Come have dinner, you've worked hard enough for tonight." Hermione whispered, kissing his cheek again.

Ron turned in his chair and smiled, kissing his wife and nodding to eating dinner.

Hermione walked ahead of him to the stair and yelled, "Brian! Lily! Come to dinner!"

Just seconds after she finished yelling a pair of little, pounding feet sounded.

Ron hadn't even made it into the kitchen when a frizzy, red-haired two-year old named Lily ran past him and climbed eagerly into her high chair.

"Easy there, Lils." Ron chuckled, taking a seat himself.

Lily just grinned.

Hermione started to set the table with the plates of food.

It was then that Brian walked calmly into the kitchen and sat with a perplexed look.

Hermione noticed as she was setting down a bowl of liver pie, "What is it, Brian?"

"I seem to have misplaced my book." He replied, the perplexed look still on his face.

It now showed on Hermione's, "Did you leave it somewhere? You take a book everywhere you go."

Lily giggled, "Bwian losta boo-ook!" She chided in a sing-song voice.

Brian glared.

"Did you leave it at Harry's?" Ron asked, picking up his plate and starting to serve himself after Hermione had sat down.

Brian blinked, then sighed dejectedly, "I set it down on the table."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie." Hermione said, fixing a plate for Lily, "We'll go over and pick it up tomorrow."

Ron sighed, "No, no we can't."

"Oooh…your match…" Hermione said, "Well, after dinner you and Dad can go over and fetch it."

Brian nodded, and then started to make his plate.

"So, honey. How are the new plays going?" Hermione asked, wiping Lily's chin; she was a very messy eater.

"All right. It'll be a challenge, yes, but I believe we can beat them." Ron said.

"I know you can, dad." Brian said, "The Montrose Magpies were always better than the Ballycastle Bats."

Ron laughed and leaned across the table to rustle Brian hair, "Thanks, son."

Brian smiled warmly and combed his hair back in place.

Hermione had been scooping mashed potatoes onto her plate when she pointed the wooden spoon warningly at Ron, "You better not try anything dangerous during that match Mr. Weasley." She warned, a glop of potatoes falling off the spoon and onto her plate.

Ron smiled crookedly and finished off his pie.

Hermione tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, "You're planning to use the Double Eight Loop again, aren't you?"

Ron gave a half shrug and delved into his potatoes.

She could easily read him like a book.

Hermione gaped, "AND the Starfish and Stick?"

Ron sighed, "You knew what I was getting into when I joined one of the best teams in Europe. We haven't lost a match and we can't start now."

She shook her head, "Why do you still play? We have enough galleons to start our own bank and you still play. _Why_? Why do you have to risk your life?"

Ron looked up at his wife, "I love the game, Hermione."

Hermione slouched her shoulders, a rare thing that she only did when distressed, "But which do you love more?" She said, nearly whispering.

Realizing that Brian had his eyes fixed on them, they returned to their dinner.

Lily was blissfully unaware.

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I hope you liked this one, even if it was short... Oh! and I got the Quidditch team names and Keeper moves from Quidditch Through the Ages. A great read.

Here are the definitions for those moves that Hermione was so worried about:

**Double Eight Loop**-- A Keeper defense, usually employed against penalty taker, whereby the Keeper swerves around all three goal hoops at high speed to block the Quaffle.

**Starfish and Stick--** Keeper defense; the Keeper holds the broom horizontally with one hand and one foot curled around the handle, while keeping all limbs outstretched.


	14. Authors Note

(sigh) ok, so I thought that I could juggle normal homework, studying for exams, and working on this story all at once, but I can't...so this story is on hiatus for about three weeks. I'll finish the story though, I promise.

I would have posted links to some of the funniest stuff EVER, but the stupid contraption won't let me. (sob) So, I suppose you'll just have to be bored. Sorry. Well...perhaps you could at least find some funny vids. Up in the search box or whatever you use to look for something type in albinoblacksheep.(com)/flash. They have some of the best animations. I recommend: _**'the 5th Avacado'** _,** 'Mashed Taters' , 'the Llama song'**, 'waiting for Star Wars', 'Numa Numa', **'She Blocked Me',** 'Japanese Ping Pong', **_'Icon's Story'_**, and**_'Xiao, Xiao No. 3'_**


	15. Sharers and Masters

Rejoice! For here is another chapter.

(people throw heavy things)

OWWW! OUCH! AUGH, MY CORNEA! SAVE ME TOOOM! (a/n: Tom Felton is the sexiest human alive)

I'm sorry, ok! Just...LET ME LIVE!

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me..yada yada. Oh, but the oocness for Harry, Draco, and Severus do. A bit...she has got a wart.

Ahem, anyway. Sorry if Harry is a bit ooc in this one...along with practically every chapter. hehe... anyway.

This chapter takes a very tight turn, hold on to your hats and other valuables that you treasure.

You might just...(insert Dr. Evil pose) lose it.

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**Tilting his head and eyes filling with compassion, Draco said, "You're wrong, Harry. We're your family. _Your_ family. Do you want to know why?"**

**Harry's eyes started to fill up with new tears and he swallowed against the swelling and heavy sobs.**

**"Because we love you, brother."**

**Harry couldn't fight off the sobs this time, they wracked his chest and tears were flowing freely again.**

**Draco wrapped soothing arms around him, letting Harry cry onto his shoulder and be filled with warm comfort.**

**Harry hugged Draco back with a strong grip.**

**"Don't worry," Draco whispered soothingly, "I'm not going anywhere."**

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After a while of comforting, Harry and Draco had walked back to the mansion and to their appropriate rooms.

They both needed some sleep.

Sitting on the edge of his bed and feeling emotionally spent, Harry smiled to himself and looked over to the table where Brian's book still was.

Using his pillow to prop himself up, Harry stretched out on his bed and opened the book again.

What made Brian and Draco like it so much?

It seemed very boring to Harry.

Yawning, and smirking because his plan of becoming bored enough to sleep was working, Harry's eyes started to droop while he was in the middle of a paragraph.

In the back of his mind something was nagging at him to wake up…its dull consistency made Harry gradually slip back into consciousness.

Wait…what was that?

Squinting at the book's crease between the pages he was reading, Harry noticed that the page seemed to have an edge.

Picking at it curiously, Harry was very surprised when the page peeled back.

Now that the page was peeled back in half, a small piece of paper slid onto the bed out from the middle.

It had some strange gold markings on it that glinted in the light…then, to Harry's increasing curiosity, they just disappeared.

Now it just looked like a small piece of black paper.

_BOOOOOOOOOONG!_

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin.

The bell to the front door had rung with its usual ear-piercing tone.

Smoothing the page back to its usual together-ness, Harry closed the book and set it back on the table.

Lying back against his pillow, Harry furrowed his brow while scrutinizing the strange paper.

Who would hide such a thing in a book?

"Harry!"

Someone was calling him.

Turning his head to the door, Harry hardly had any time to stuff the paper in his pocket before he was being nearly smothered by a mass of red.

Chuckling, Harry sat up and placed the grinning girl in his lap, "Hello there, Lily."

Lily waved delightedly, and then started to pull at her pigtails as entertainment.

Laughing lightly at his daughter's antics, Ron stepped through the doorway with Brian.

"Sorry to come so late, Harry. Brian here left his book."

Shaking his head, Harry waved his hand carelessly, "It's alright. I figured you would come back for it."

Staring at the book a bit before picking it up, Brian smirked.

Holding it securely in his hand, Brian smiled eerily at Harry, then turned and walked through the door.

Narrowing his eyes, Harry stared at Brian's retreating back.

Was it just him…or did Brian's eyes…no. No, that's just…

"Harry?" Ron questioned, looking worriedly at his friend.

"Right. Sorry Ron, I…I think I should get some sleep now." Harry said, smiling with tight lips, inwardly thinking of the oddity that he had witnessed.

Nodding and picking Lily up, who had fallen contentedly asleep on Harry's chest, Ron said goodnight and left for home.

Sighing and staring up at the ceiling, Harry went back to thinking of Brian's eyes.

Why had they seemed…

Shaking his head, Harry laughed lightly at these thoughts.

"This is just crazy." He whispered to himself, convincing his persistent thought process that what he had seen wasn't so.

Hearing voices outside the window, Harry slipped out of bed and moved the curtain aside.

He could see Hermione and Ron, who was holding Lily, and last was Brian.

There was certainly something about him…

It made Harry's skin crawl.

Just before the group apparated, Brian turned towards the window.

Harry's eyes widened as he yanked the curtains together.

It happened again…

Harry ran a shaking hand through his hair and lay back on the bed.

With a sigh, Harry looked down to his pocket where the strange paper was, then started as the paper began to glow right through the fabric.

The light was nearly blinding.

Harry shielded his face with his forearms as a mysterious and powerful wind knocked him off the bed and to the floor.

"Augh!"

Shutting his eyes tight, Harry cradled his arm.

He had landed on it.

He didn't notice when the paper fluttered to the other side of the bed.

Then, suddenly, the light and wind just stopped.

Opening his eyes gingerly, Harry stared at the bed mattress in his face.

Wait…was that…that sounded like a…

"_Why, hello there_."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Harry screamed, covering his face and scrambling to hide under the bed.

"_Hahahaha! Ha ha ha. Don't worry Harry I'm not here to harm you_." A deep and comforting voice said.

Crawling out from under the bed, Harry looked around for the person that the voice belonged to.

But…there was no one in the room but Harry…

"Where…where are you?" Harry asked, bending down and looking under the bed.

The man chuckled again.

"_I'm here_."

Harry sighed impatiently, and then walked into the bathroom, "Yes, but exactly _where_ here?"

Turning from looking in the tub, Harry jumped when he saw a man about twenty years old with crimson-red hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"_Why, right here, here_." He said, grinning.

Tilting his head, Harry noticed that something wasn't right…

He pointed a suspicious finger at the man, "Wait…are you in the closet? Or…in the adjoining bathroom or something?"

The man shook his head, "_Same one you're in, Harry._"

Harry ran a hand through his hair roughly, "B-but…I don't think you understand…where you're standing there's only-"

"_A mirror?_" The man chuckled again, "_Yes, Harry, I'm quite aware_."

Shaking his head and laughing nervously, Harry ran a hand through his hair again and brought it over his face.

The man was still there.

Shaking his head and chuckling, Harry tried to convince himself, "It's a hallucination. That's it. I-I just need some sleep is all. Yes…yes, some sleep."

Pulling the comforter contentedly to his chin after turning off the light, Harry sighed at the relaxing softness of the mattress.

"_You forgot your glasses Harry_." The man whispered.

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin.

The man's voice sounded like it was right by his ear.

Whipping his head to beside the bed where the table was and then to the empty place on the bed next to him, Harry clutched the blankets tightly and tried to relax.

"Sleep…yes. That's all I need. Just a little sleep and I'll get back to normal." Harry convinced himself once more, falling into a deep sleep.

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An incessant light nagged at Harry's eyelids.

Groaning and rubbing at his eyes, Harry sat up and ran a hand through his hair with a yawn.

"Have a nice sleep?"

Whipping his head about to try and find the red-haired man from before, Harry lost his balance and fell to the floor.

The man chuckled.

"_You're pretty clumsy_."

Sighing impatiently and rubbing his sore chin, Harry mumbled, "I'm not clumsy. You startle me."

"_Oh, right. Sure thing._"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"You're annoying. Now, where are you?" Harry asked, getting more agitated as he stood up.

"_I thought we had an understanding…_" The man said uncertainly.

"What kind of an understanding?" Harry said, anger rising at the man whom he couldn't see. "I don't understand ANY of this!" He yelled, griping his hair and searching more frantically.

A tentative knock sounded at the door.

"Harry, are you alright?" A worried voice sounded from the hallway.

Raising an inquisitive eyebrow at the fact that he hadn't closed his door, Harry padded over and opened it.

"Draco, I think I'm losing my mind here." He said, looking about his room behind him for the mysterious man.

Draco furrowed his brows worriedly, "Are you hallucinating again? Are you having some other possible side effect?"

Harry shook his head, "No…at least, I don't so…that is, I keep hearing this voice in my head."

"…oh…"

"Oh! What 'oh'? Have I constricted another 'rare side effect'! Is this another effect of the potion? Am I-"

The voice chuckled again.

Harry gripped his head, "Stop chuckling! You…you chuckler! It's bloody annoying."

"Uh…Harry I didn't chuckle…." Draco said uncertainly.

Harry shook his head and slid down the wall beside the door with a sigh, "I know. It was him."

"Him?"

Harry nodded, "The voice in my head."

The invisible man scoffed, "_I DO have a name_."

Leaning his head up against the wall, Harry turned to Draco, "Guess what. Apparently he has a name."

Draco shrugged, "What is it?"

"_Godric Gryffindor, at your service_."

Harry's eyes widened.

Draco sat down beside Harry, "What? What's his name?"

Shaking his head and griping both sides to where his hair was practically standing straight up with his eyes still wide, Harry said, "I can't take much more of this."

"_Well then_," said the invisible man/newly proclaimed Godric, "_I suppose I shall take it for you_."

Before Harry could question what Godric meant, he saw a flash of light and found himself…somewhere…

It was like he was looking out from someone else's eyes.

"_WHERE AM I!"_

Godric chuckled, stood up, and brushed the dust off of himself.

Holding a hand out to Draco, Godric smiled and said, "Godric Gryffindor."

Barely managing a smile, Draco took the crimson-red-haired man's hand, "Draco Snape."

Godric said with a nod, "Well then, we should probably go to the dining room to discuss. I'm afraid I have a bit of explaining at hand."

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"So…" Draco said, leaning his head against his arm on the armrest of his chair with wisps of silver-blond hair across his forehead, legs crossed and eyebrows furrowed, "You were cursed to remain in a slip of black paper…and when Harry touched it you were transferred into his body?"

Godric nodded.

"Hmmm…" Severus pondered, rubbing his chin.

"_Huh…I guess that's a habit of his_." Harry mused.

"So…where is Harry now?" Severus asked, turning to Godric.

Godric simply pointed to his head, "In my subconscious. We can switch back and forth."

Leaning forward in his chair, Draco asked, "How? Is it just pure force of will?"

"Weeeell…a little bit. There are certain…hampers." Godric answered.

Sharing a look with Draco, Severus asked, "What hampers?"

"For one thing, I can't switch places with Harry if he doesn't want me to, and visa versa."

"_Wait! I didn't want you to before._" Harry pointed out.

"Well, that's different Harry. You didn't know what I was doing. Now that you are aware, when you don't want me to switch places and when you do will effect who has control." Godric answered.

Draco and Severus shared a confused look.

"He was asking me about the time before." Godric clarified.

"Wait a second…" Draco said, furrowing his brow even more in confusion, "If you can hear Harry and he can hear you…then why can't Severus and I hear either of you when we're both skilled at legimins?"

"It's a very ancient magic. A person who has mastered legimins, no matter how skilled, cannot tap into the conversations between the sharer and master." Godric explained.

"Sharer?"

Godric nodded, "In this case, that would be me. I'm sharing Harry's body. Since the body is his, he is the master."

"_That…sounds creepy. I can't even stand it when Dobby calls me that. Call me something else._" Harry said.

Godric chuckled, "It seems that Harry doesn't like the title. I'll just call you Harry, Harry, and you can call me Godric… or almighty king-founder of Gryffindor."

Severus snorted, "Well, aren't we humble."

Godric grinned, "Thank you for noticing."

It was Severus' turn to furrow his brow, "Wait…if this is ancient magic…does that mean that it has been done before?"

Taking a breath, Godric let it out slow, "Yes…in fact, that's the reason I imprisoned my soul in the first place."

"Well? Who else imprisoned their soul?" Severus asked impatiently.

"Salazar Slytherin. He wanted to live as long as possible, so he imprisoned himself inside a piece of old Egyptian paper that was made with a great deal of magic. It's the only way to hold the soul completely intact. From what I know, at least." Godric answered, "Now, I just have to find him. Hopefully he's still trapped in that tiara."

Draco shook his head, "What tiara?"

"A tiara that has been passed down a certain family line for generations, at least, it has in this time I'm sure. It was newly made when Salazar hid the paper inside." Godric growled and slammed his fist on the armrest, "And wouldn't that family line be linked to me…"

Severus and Draco's eyes widened.

"W-what family?" Draco asked, holding his breath.

"_Weasley!_" Harry said in realization.

"Weasley."

"Weasley!" Severus gasped.

Godric nodded, "It's what I said, wasn't it?"

He looked over to the kitchen, "I'm hungry." He turned back to Severus and Draco, "Do excuse me."

Draco shook his head, "Hungry? Can't you wait? This seems a little important…"

Godric reached the kitchen and started rummaging about the fridge, "I can eat and talk at the same time."

Lifting a lip in disgust, Severus pictured food flying everywhere, "I bet you can…"

"So, whomever found the piece of paper in the tiara and touched it…is the master of Salazar?" Draco asked.

Godric shook his head, "You don't seem to understand the whole master/sharer thing. The only reason that I'm the sharer is that I'm giving Harry first pick on who gets to control the body and resume their form. Salazar won't do that. Although…I'm sure if he's the master over the sharer in the Weasley family he won't keep his form. If I want control, but I want to look like Harry, the decision can be one sided. But if Harry struggles for control and I fight back…then… well let's just put it this way…it won't be pretty."

Draco gaped, "You won't…explode or anything…right?"

Godric laughed, "No, no. We'll just switch back and forth from Harry to Godric. It will only greatly confuse, not injure."

Severus let out a sigh of relief, "Well, do you have any suspicions on who is the sharer of Salazar?"

Godric nodded, "I have an inkling…"

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"_Yessssss…yesssss my sssharer. Now iss when the fun ssstartsss. Hahahahahahaha_."

The sharer of Salazer Slytherin chuckled, his eyes glowing red and pupils reducing to snake-like slits, and then placing his book back upon the shelf.

"BRIAN! COM E TO DINNER!"

He turned from the bookshelf, "Coming, mother."

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Doesn't that ending make you want to commit murder? I'm on SUMMAH BREAK so the updates should becoming every three days. Ye-ah for summer!


	16. Thickening Worry

I am so sorry for not posting in over a month! I feel so terrible... The well in my brain was so dry for this story, but now it is full of ideas that shall fill the plot! yay! Ahem, but two of those weeks I must say that I was over at Clemson, SC taking some Science classes and I survived on almost no internet time.

(people gasp)

Yes, yes. It is a very health-jeopardizing thing. I went for two whole weeks with barely an hour a day on the internet. I should get a medal.

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, blah blah blah.

I missed you guys! I hope you like this chappy, the next one should be up in (at most) three days.

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**Severus let out a sigh of relief, "Well, do you have any suspicions on who is the sharer of Salazar?"**

**Godric nodded, "I have an inkling…"**

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**"_Yessssss…yesssss my sssharer. Now iss when the fun ssstartsss. Hahahahahahaha_."**

**The sharer of Salazar Slytherin chuckled, placing his book back upon the shelf.**

**"BRIAN! COM E TO DINNER!"**

**He turned from the bookshelf, "Coming, mother."**

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Harry sighed.

"_Can I switch back now?_"

Godric shrugged; he had already finished his sandwich.

Instead of the crimson-haired, blue-eyed man coming out of the kitchen, Severus and Draco saw Harry.

Severus sat back in his chair, "So, this is an interesting development."

Harry snorted and plopped back in his chair.

"Harry, I think there's a slight problem…" Draco said with furrowed brows.

Harry shrugged, "A bigger problem than having someone in my head who can take over my body?"

Draco ignored his comment, "Since you're from the past... or… likely past or something, won't that be a problem?"

"How so?"

Draco shifted in his seat, "Well, while you and Godric are meant to be in the past, Brian and Salazar are in the future."

"_Wow…that is a problem… wait, you're from the past?_"

Harry sighed, "Yes, I'm from the past, Godric. Well…not exactly. I took a Futurus Verisimilis potion on accident."

"'_On accident'? How'd that happen?_"

Harry shrugged, "A death-eater by the name of Mundungas switched the Futurus Verisimilis with sleeping drought. So when I drank the sleeping drought, it was really the 'likely future' potion."

"_Hmm. That's interesting. I took that potion myself…wanted to see if I would win the lovely Rowena's heart._"

Harry heard Godric sigh, but not say anything more.

He shrugged, "Well, what did you see?"

Draco and Severus waited patiently for their conversation to finish; Harry could explain it to them later.

"_I saw ruin…Hogwarts was no more because of such violent house rivalries just because of bloodline. The war had started early._" Godric gave a long sigh, "_So, then I took the counter-potion, returned to my time, and married my cousin to keep the Gryffindor blood-line pure._"

Harry shook his head, "But how would that help?"

"_The reason that the house rivalries had been so bad was because, eventually, none of the Slytherins could keep their pure blood with all the intermarriages between houses; since the unofficial rule of not intermarrying had not been implied because of my marrying Rowena. It just got worse and worse until they finally started a war to kill all witches and wizards without pure blood; so that way they wouldn't fall in love, or lust as the case may be, with someone who would ruin their bloodline._" Godric explained.

Harry scoffed, "What is it with this 'pure blood' nonsense? Eventually _every_ witch and wizard will either be half-blood or less."

"_It's all thanks to their stupid idea about magical tendency, Harry." _Godric answered_, "Pure bloods believe that magic is hereditary, which it mostly is. If you have a blood relative with just a bit of magical blood in them, you still have a chance of being a witch or wizard. Now, pure bloods believe that the more pure your bloodline is the stronger magic you will have. This is a pretty stupid idea and I chastised Salazar about it constantly, but there is no changing their minds._"

Harry snorted, "Well I have a bit of evidence against that theory. My friend Hermione is pure muggle and she is one of the most talented witches in our class."

Godric laughed heartily, "_I would love to flaunt_ **_that_** _in old Sally's face!_"

Going over what Godric had said, Harry's eyes widened as he replayed one part, "Godric?"

"_Yes Harry m'boy?_"

"What was that you said earlier about a counter-potion?" Harry asked, sharing an eager look with Severus and Draco.

Godric answered, "_Ah. Well, as most time-traveling potions, Futurus Verisimilis has a counter-potion that will return you to your own time. It takes about five days for me to make it._"

Harry grinned, "It'll only take him five days to make!"

Draco shared his grin while Severus smiled warmly.

"There is one thing though," Severus reminded them, "What are you going to do about the time differences between you, Godric, Brian, and Salazar?"

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"It's so good to have you over Harry!" Hermione said brightly as she laid out the lunch plates.

Harry smiled, "I thought I should drop by after being a bit rude at the door last night."

Hermione shook her head, "Now, Harry, it's alright. You probably just forgot we were coming over because of lack of sleep. Look at you, you have bags under your eyes. Why don't I go whip up some sleeping drought for you and you can have a nap in Ron's hammock while you're here." Hermione suggested, wiping her hands on her apron and heading to a side room that most likely contained potion ingredients and cauldrons.

Harry followed her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "It's alright, Herm. Severus makes plenty of sleeping drought." He ended with a smile.

Hermione returned it, but still with a hint of worry, "Are you sure Harry?"

Harry nodded.

Godric whistled when Harry sat at the table, "_Did you see all the ingredients in that room? That Hermione sure does know how to stock up._"

"That's why we're here." Harry whispered when Hermione had gone back into the kitchen.

"What's why who's here?" Brian asked, walking into the kitchen with his book.

Harry whipped his head to the direction of the door; Brian was leaning casually against the frame, his expression blank.

Harry's expression went as blank as Brian's, he nodded, "Brian."

Brian nodded, "Harry."

The silence was intoxicating.

They couldn't even hear the clink of pans in the kitchen, or the rustle of wind on the windows, or the ticking of a clock.

Harry didn't know what it was, but his staring contest with Brian made his eyes burn, yet he couldn't blink.

He didn't know if he was even breathing.

And yet Brian just kept staring.

No emotion could be read from his face.

He was like a stone.

The silence was growing into heavy and hot cloud.

The shroud that had settled over the room was broken by Hermione coming in with a big plate of roast duck on rice.

Harry could practically see the drool forming in Ron's mouth as he walked through the door.

"Brilliant! I'm starved."

Harry and Brian broke eye contact and each sat at the table.

Hermione sat beside Lily and her high chair at one end of the table while Ron was at the other end.

Harry and Brian were directly across from one another.

"So Harry," said Ron, spooning a good helping of duck onto his plate, "Which way are you leaning in the upcoming match? Montrose Magpies or Wimbourne Wasps?"

Hermione scoffed, spooning rice onto Lily's plate, "It's always Quidditch with you."

Ron shrugged, "What?"

Hermione shook her head, annoyed, "Nothing."

Harry glanced at his two friends; apparently there was more tension in the room than he was previously aware.

Brian smirked eerily, "Yes, Harry, which _team_ do you think will win?"

Harry frowned questioningly.

"_He's not talking Quidditch, Harry_."

Harry answered cryptically, "That depends on which team _you're_ rooting for, Brian."

Brian smirked wider.

No…

Salazar smirked.

Godric clenched his teeth, recognizing that smirk anywhere, "_Hello Sal."_

Brian finally answered, "Well, I suppose I'd have to go with the Magpies, they have all the _skill_."

Ron clapped his son on the back, "That's my boy! Always rooting for your dad."

Brian broke his staring contest with Harry and grinned at Ron.

Godric spoke up, "_Looks like he has more control than I thought, Harry."_

"_Who?"_

"_Brian."_

Harry somehow managed to not shake his head on confusion, "_Well that's good then, right?_"

"_No, no it's not."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because that means that he's allowing Salazar to use him."_

Harry concentrated on making his plate, aware of Brian's eyes that would periodically burn a hole in his head.

Ron broke the silence, "So then, who do you think will win Harry?"

Harry looked up from his plate and glanced from Brian to Ron, "Well, while the Magpies are _skilled_, the Wasps have even the _crowd_ helping out." Harry stared hard at Brian, "There is more power in numbers than power alone."

Brian took a sip of tea from his glass, and with a quirk of his eyebrow said, "I quite agree."

Harry ducked his head and took a forkful of rice in his mouth to hide his scowl.

He had been afraid of this.

He could practically feel the heat radiating from Godric.

"So Harry," Hermione piped out, finally being able to start eating herself having been preoccupied with a very stubborn Lily, "How is everything over at Snape manor? Have any summer problems yet?"

Harry shrugged and shook his head, "Not that I'm aware of."

Hermione snuck a glance at Ron, "No independent rose bushes? I could always come over and trim them."

Godric laughed, "_I think she's attached to the Snape roses, Harry."_

Harry could understand why, the Snape family had some of the most blood-red, plump, and perfect roses he had ever seen. They practically glowed.

Harry grinned, "I wouldn't want you to trim that huge maze, Herm." He looked over at Ron and Hermione shared his smile, "If anyone should do it, it's Ron."

Ron's head jerked up from his plate, and thankfully he had just swallowed before he spoke, "What?"

Hermione shared anther look with Harry, "Harry would like for you to trim the rose hedges on the Snape property."

Ron squinted in confusion, "They have roses?"

Hermione pursed her lips, "Yes, just a bush or two. In fact, would you mind bagging some and taking them home? Those roses would look lovely as a centerpiece."

Godric was practically going into hysterics, "_Boy, she knows what she's doing! 'Just a bush or two', ha! Those rose hedges cover the whole lawn! Hahahaha! Poor bloke doesn't even know what he's agreeing to._"

Ron shrugged, "Sure, I have part of tomorrow free before Quidditch practice."

Hermione beamed, "Great!"

Godric tutted, "_I greatly pity a man with no observation skills."_

Harry almost snorted into his duck.

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Hermione hugged Harry with a grin and whispered, "Take some pictures of Ron's face when he first sees the hedges."

Harry chuckled, "I will."

Ron had gone to put the children to bed, so he and Hermione were alone.

"_You aren't actually thinking of telling her, are you?_"

Hermione noticed the pensive look on his face, "Harry, is something wrong?"

Harry shook his head and smiled, "No, nothing."

Hermione smiled, "Ok. You get back home, Harry. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Home…

It sounded so foreign… yet so… comforting.

Hermione closed the door, and Harry turned and walked down their porch steps, fingering the vial in his pocket.

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Lifting up a shaking hand, thus so because of the queasy feeling still with him, Harry knocked on the door.

He knew how much the bell bothered Snape.

He grinned in remembrance of the absolute loathing that always twisted his old professor's face every time the chime rang out exuberantly.

It took all his will not to laugh outright like Godric did.

He seemed to find Snape a hoot.

Godric pouted, "_Aww. You ruin my fun. I was looking forward to see his scowling mug._"

Harry smirked at his bodily counterpart.

It had taken some used to on Harry's part to constantly have another voice in his head.

Rather confusing at times…

Sometimes he was confused at to whether his words were his own.

The door opened to reveal a smiling Draco, "Harry! You're just in time!"

And with that, Draco pulled Harry into the house and quickly closed and locked the door behind him.

Pulling Harry by his wrist like a giddy child, Draco said, "Severus is asleep and we can finally eat some of my hidden ice-cream!"

Harry snorted.

Godric shrugged, "_What?_"

"_Draco's addicted to ice-cream_."

Godric shrugged again, "_So… ?"_

"_Oh, you think I'm kidding? No, he's ADDICTED to ice-cream. He eats it every night whenever he can. Do you know what it's like to wake up at 3 a. m.? It's real hard to get back to sleep, especially when you can hear gleeful giggles across the hall. He's not too quiet…"_

Godric snorted, "_We all have our weaknesses, Harry. Draco's just happens to be ice-cream."_

Triumphantly Draco opened a secret refrigerator that he had installed in the pantry.

It was full of ice-cream.

All kinds.

He even had coffee.

Godric felt like he had died and gone to heaven when he saw… Fudge.

Taking over Harry's body, Godric grabbed the carton and went to get a spoon.

Draco grabbed the moose tracks.

They both plopped down on their respective chairs in the den.

"So, did you get the ingredient you needed?" Draco asked, eating all the chocolate chunks out of his spoonful of ice-cream first then eating the vanilla.

Godric nodded, taking the vial full of purple liquid out of his pocket.

"I also found out a valuable piece of info on our friend Sal."

Draco raised his eyebrows, scooping out another spoonful, "Really? How'd you coax something out of him?"

He shrugged, "He and Harry were having a very symbolic conversation that led me to believe that our two favorite people are going to combine forces."

Draco put down his spoon, "Salazar and Voldemort? How?"

"The counter-potion. If Brian or Sally somehow are in the vicinity when Harry and I go back, they'll come with us. And with their combined power…"

"…_we'll all be doomed."_

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Thickening plot, that's what I like. Just wait til you see what happens! (snicker snicker) I feel so smart thinking up this plost, I truly do.

The ending shall be very satisfying. uh... sort of. a bit. not really? (sigh) You'll just have to wait.


	17. Introducing Mister Valentine

Wow... am I lazy or what? How long has it been? Almost two months I'd say...

I apologize profusely wonderful people who actually follow this story. I apologize and bow at your forgiving feet.

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, none of the places are mine, and one of the spells/incantations/other thingies that are derived from J.K. Rowling's mind are mine.

oh, but Valentine is mine. He's great. I loves him. You will see him again because he's so delightfully insane.

ah yes, and to make up for not posting in such a long while I have made this chapter exceptionally _long_.

5,355 words baby! 19 effing pages. uh huh. (z-formation snap)

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"Harry." Someone whispered.

He vaguely felt his shoulder being jostled.

The voice hissed, "Harry! Oh for goodness sakes, _Harry_!"

"Hnnn?" Harry mumbled, lazily rubbing his eyes.

Someone sighed impatiently, "Get up. We haven't much time before he wakes up."

Harry squinted at the blurry figure beside his bed; he had fallen onto it after staying up a short while with Draco; Harry had found that talking to him came easily.

"Severus?" He questioned confusedly, picking up his glasses from where they were strewn on the bedside table, "What're you talking about? What do we have to do before who wakes up? Draco?"

Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yes, yes we have things- _very important_ things- to do before your brother wakes up. Now hurry before-"

"Hallo my wonderful family!" Draco chirped from the doorway, practically bouncing on his toes while swaying back and forth in an obnoxious manner.

Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Draco's smirk.

Severus eyed his son's obvious behavior and regarded his presence, "Oh, hello Draco. Now Harry as I was saying, you need to visit Ron and Hermione later- something about redecorating the living room or something."

Being thoroughly confused now, Harry just nodded, figuring that Severus would tell him later.

Nodding to his two sons, Severus walked passed a pouting Draco.

Draco stomped his foot, "You can't go off _today_ Harry!"

Harry just shrugged, his brain was working overtime to try and figure out why everyone was seemingly hiding something.

Draco huffed, "Surely you didn't forget."

Harry blinked, "Uh… forget what?"

Draco gaped like a fish, then gradually relaxed into a disappointed slouch, "You… you… really forgot. Didn't you?"

Harry stood from his bed at the dejected tone in Draco's voice, "Look, I'm… I'm sorry if I've forgotten something important but… you have to know that I'm not the Harry from this time. So… there obviously is something he knows that I don't."

Draco shrugged, but still held his pout, "It's alright I suppose, but you have to give me a big present to make up for it."

Before Harry could ask him what he meant, Draco had already skipped out the door with a beaming grin.

"_Well, he certainly recovers fast._" Godric remarked with a yawn, "_So, tell me why we're up again?_"

But Harry didn't get a chance to answer, the doorbell rang.

Harry furrowed his brow confusedly as he trudged over to his wardrobe to get his silky red robe.

"_Who would that be? Why is it that everyone seems to be up and about at this ungodly hour?_" Godric whined, "_I want to return to my peaceful haven of slumber!_"

"Oh quit your griping," Harry scoffed, tying the silk belt around his waist, "it isn't _that_ early."

"_Humph. Yes it is. I believe that three hours after sunrise is very early, thank you. In fact, I'm going back to sleep._"

Harry rolled his eyes, "It's not nine. It's ten."

"_Ah… Well in that case, it's time for breakfast. Hurry up, I'm starving."_

Harry sighed as he made his way downstairs, "You're annoyingly demanding in the morning."

Godric chuckled, "_And you have the worst bed-head I've ever seen in my whole life. Hahaha! Ha! It looks like you were rubbing your head on your pillow all night... Ooh..._"

"**_What, ooh?_**" Harry said in his head, not wanting for Draco and Severus to hear a one-sided conversation as he walked down the stairs.

"_**Were** you rubbing your head on your pillow all night?_" Godric asked, snickering.

"**_What exactly are you insinuating?_**"

"_Oh… I don't know. Maybe you were having a dream._"

The snickering continued as Harry blushed.

"**_What… what kind of dream are you thinking of?_**"

"_Well, I was just thinking of you nuzzling a unicorn or something._" Harry could practically feel Godric's leering grin, "_What kind of dream did **you** think I meant?_"

"Nothing."

"Nothing what, Harry?" Severus asked from the living room.

"Uh… I was just talking to Godric. I didn't intend to say that out loud."

Severus nodded, albeit with a calculating look, and turned back to his paper.

Blocking out Godric's continuous snickering; Harry made his way to the living room to sit next to Severus when the obnoxious bell sounded again.

Harry could practically feel the throbbing vein in Snape's forehead.

"Don't worry Severus, I'll get it." Harry offered, turning to the door rather than the kitchen.

"Ron?"

Ron smiled briefly and nodded, "Hermione made me apparate over here to trim the rose bushes."

Pursing his lips in a straight line, Ron nearly growled, "She never said the whole bloody lawn was a rose bush."

Harry chuckled, "I'll make you a deal. You find out why Draco is acting so strange today and I'll give you a spell that will trim the roses and stack the trimmings in a neat pile."

Ron grinned, "Deal. So, you're wondering why the ferret's acting weird? Doesn't he always?"

Harry chuckled, "That's a bit true, but today he's exceptionally puzzling."

Ron nodded with a pensive look, "Isn't his birthday today?"

Harry smacked a hand to his head.

_Draco shrugged, but still held his pout, "It's alright I suppose, but you'll have to get me a big present to make up for it."_

"**_So that's what Draco meant…"_**

Ron creased his brows together questioningly, "You didn't forget his birthday did you?"

Harry chuckled uncomfortably and ruffled his hair, avoiding Ron's eyes, "Of course not…"

"Uh huh…" Ron said calculatingly, nodding.

Tilting his head inquisitively, Harry asked, "Ron, could you do a favor for me?"

Blinking, Ron nodded, "Sure mate."

"Could you distract Draco for the day?"

Ron raised his eyebrows, "The _whole_ day?"

Harry shrugged, "For most of the day."

Ron shook his head, "Harry, do you know how vastly impossible that is? The ferret has the attention span of… well… a ferret!"

Harry chuckled, "Just keep him busy for about four hours; I'll come over to your house when I have everything sorted."

Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, Ron asked, "Have what sorted?"

Clapping Ron on the back and grinning, Harry turned back to the house and said, "The surprise birthday party of course."

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"But why do I have to stay over at their house while you prepare for my surprise birthday party?"

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's whining, "No one said anything about a surprise birthday party. You're staying over at the Weasley's because they're redecorating and Hermione needs advice."

Draco blew the wisps of hair out of his face and pouted, "What makes you think I could help?"

Harry shrugged, "You're rich. You should know these things."

"But they won't appreciate me!"

Harry scoffed, "Are you insinuating that you want to get paid?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt."

"Draco!"

"What? My tasteful services should be worth more than a simple 'thank you'."

Thinking quickly, Harry stretched out his arm and put Draco in a tight head lock, "Say you'll help them and I'll let you go."

Struggling fitfully and scratching at Harry's arm, Draco choked out, "Ne-ver!"

_Step_

_Step_

_Step_

"Boys, stop behaving like miscreants." Severus said amusedly from the doorway, "Harry let go of your brother; and Draco, please just go help the Weasleys and stop whining about it."

Harry let go of Draco with a smug grin.

Glaring at Harry and fixing his hair, Draco sniffed haughtily and walked out the door to their apparating grounds yelling behind him, "My party better be worth it!"

Chuckling amusedly, Harry grabbed his coat from off the peg and patted the pocket to hear galleons jingle.

"Alright, to Diagon Alley?"

Severus chuckled, "Actually son," Harry's chest swelled at being called 'son', "I think that we will find the proper decorations at Nocturn Alley."

Harry's eyes widened, "Nocturn?"

"Don't fret lion. Nocturn isn't the hideout for dark wizards anymore. Currently it has become a more… darker version of Diagon Alley."

Harry raised his eyebrow, "Darker, how?"

Shrugging on his own jacket, Severus opened the mahogany door and said mysteriously, "You'll see."

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Nocturn Alley was amazing.

Yeah, it was still slightly scary but in a wicked way.

To use the American term, Nocturn Alley was goth.

The alley streets were still the same, cramped and towering; yet it was far more decorated than it had been before.

Tattered black sheets had been randomly draped across rooftops to block out more of the sun and give it a more sinister look while stores advertised more blatently.

"_I feel like I've entered Vampire-ville."_ Godric muttered.

"**_Oh hush I'm trying to find Draco a present and decent decorations. I wonder what type of party Sev had in mind…"_**

"_Haven't the fanciest, but I don't think you'll be drinking butterbeer."_

"Sev, where are we going?" Harry asked, trailing as close behind Severus as he could.

Some of the passers-by were just scary; with leering faces, jutting chins, and bulging eyes.

Of course that may have just been Harry's exaggerating imagination in response to the dim lighting.

"A little place that will have everything we'll need." Severus answered.

"_Pssh. Yeah that helps. I certainly have no inclinations of curiosity at all. Cheeky git."_

Harry snorted, **_"And you aren't?"_**

"_No. I'm a judgmental old twit. There's a difference."_

"_**Whatever you say oh wise one."**_

"_Now you're catching on m'boy!"_

"Here we are," Severus stated ducking into a small alley with only room for a door that Harry had to walk sideways to get through.

His eyes widened.

If you had judged the little shop from the front you would have thought it was a broom closet big enough to fit one broom and bucket, but you would be so wrong.

It was huge!

Harry gaped at its enormity.

It appeared to be divided into sections.

One wall and half the room was filled to the top with books, and there was quite a hefty number of them, flying and rearranging according to the last name and species of their author.

The shelves reached all the way to the fifteen foot ceiling and had red velvet chairs situated in the middle of each row on a soft carpet.

The floor was a dark brown wood that looked worn and homely.

A lazy bell jingled as Harry stepped onto the mat that read, 'I have a face too y'know.'

Wrinkling his nose confusedly, Harry looked to Severus who just shrugged, "The owner is quite… unique. By the way, help me look around and locate him. His name is Valentine." (a/n: sqwee!)

Harry nodded and walked toward the other half of the store that would be classified as 'pure miscellany'.

There were racks of costumes, regular clothes, skimpy clothes, clothes that made you question if they were actually clothes, thimbles, needles, pincushions, several baskets of thread, oil paints, acrylic paints, small canvases, big canvases, rolls of canvas material, wedges, knives, forks, spoons, plates, crock pots, pans, buckets, brooms, ladles, mops, soap, detergent, shampoos of various and sometimes unique fragrances _("Pickled Plum?"_ **_"I'm not even going to think about that one."_**), cologne, perfume, devices that resembled cd's with wizard band labels, toothpaste, toothbrushes, cups, and at last Harry found the party decorations.

"Oh, but Severus didn't say what theme he had in mind…" Harry muttered to himself.

"Hullo there. Can you assist me?" A somewhat timid and high pitched voice asked from beside Harry, who responded in kind by jumping several feet in the air.

Holding a hand to his chest and taking in calming breaths to try and slow down his heart rate, Harry panted, "I (pant) I don't work here (pant pant)."

Harry was surprised to see that the speaker was a man.

He had short jet black hair, a pale complexion that glowed and a lean body; his eyes were a misty blue and Harry had to remind himself that Sirius was dead to not get his hopes up.

This man looked like a more perfect, if that's possible, version of his godfather.

Thankfully his voice wasn't actually that high pitched.

"Ha ha ha ha!" The man laughed somewhat weirdly, spacing his laughs with pauses, then his jolly face changed in a second to a much more serious expression, "I work here, and I most certainly would not hire someone so badly dressed."

Blinking confusedly Harry stood up for his pride, "I am _not_ badly dressed! Severus bought this suit fresh off the new line this week."

"_Oh Merlin, you're starting to sound like a Slytherin."_

Petting Harry's hair, the weird and obviously insane (as Harry deduced) man cooed, "Of course Harry. You are always dressed in the best. Now," the bi-polar man turned absolutely livid, "Where is Severus? He better not have avoided seeing me again or I'll cut off his genitals!"

"Uh…"

"_What a loon! On the count of three Harry, we run."_

Before Godric could start counting, Severus rounded the corner.

"Sevvy! Mau cherie, you did not forget about moi! Oh I'm so happy!" The man started prancing around the small area waving his arms about.

Harry nodded at the strange man, "Do you know him?"

Severus nodded, "Unfortunately."

The man pouted, "Thank you vair vair much for squelching my happiness. It's dead now. What can I help you with?"

Harry blinked, "Are you French?"

"No, but its fun."

"_He's more of a loon than I originally thought! Quick m'boy, there's still time to escape. Now, I spotted an exit door on our way in-"_

Drowning out Godric's Guide to Escaping from a Situation Involving a Loon, Harry listened to Severus give out the introductions.

"Harry this is Valentine, Valentine this is Harry."

"Salud!"

"Uh… hi."

"Well you're quite dull… from what Draco has told me you don't live up to my expectations. I'm afraid you must be my personal slave for one week for your lack of enthusiasm."

"What?"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Valentine laughed weirdly, clapping Harry on the back, "I'm just joking. Just a simple joke. Unless of course, you're willing. I could always use the help around here and I just recently-"

"Valentine." Severus said, stopping the strange man from rambling on, "We would appreciate your assistance."

"Ah, of course! Of course! I am here to serve. What will you gentleman need?"

"I was thinking of giving Draco a costume birthday party. What theme would you suggest for basing costumes on?"

"Hmmm… I would say the easiest to follow is a card deck theme. That way you could dress in red, black, white, diamonds, clovers, spades, and hearts. Much more choices with that."

"_Huh. And I half expected him to suggest a bordello theme."_

Harry blushed.

"Ah! Dear Harry likes the idea so much all the blood is rushing to his head in happiness! Wonderful. I shall set up a rack of costumes for your party guest right now! The proper decorations should be on the third row behind the corsets. Tally-ho boys!" Valentine rushed as he set about picking out the costumes and muttering to himself.

Severus and Harry walked to the appropriate shelf and picked out streamers, banners, confetti, party glasses, cups, plates, and even an ingenious little enchanted box that turned into a full-fledged bar with stools and firewhisky.

Severus pointed a finger at Harry, "Though you are in an adult body, your mind is still seventeen and I will not allow you to drink more than two glasses. Clear?"

Harry nodded, convinced that he wouldn't even touch the stuff after drinking it once before.

"_**Nasty stuff."**_

"_Oh? Well then I guess you won't mind if I try a taste."_

"_**What? NO, no you are NOT getting me drunk. I WILL NOT have to duck my head in and out of a water bucket!"**_

"_I'm not even sure if you will get drunk. Though we share a body I'm not exactly sure what would happen…"_

"**_Well, I don't want to find out."_**

After purchasing all they needed, Severus and Harry shrunk their decorations and costumes after fitting them all inside bags and placed each peanut-sized bag in their pockets to avoid suspicion in case Draco had someone tail them.

He had been known to do that in previous years.

They both had even decided on the perfect present.

A dragon-shaped pendant with emerald eyes that periodically would move.

It had various protection charms and even a location charm on it.

Harry had Severus ask Valentine to wrap it; frankly he never wanted to speak with the crazy man ever again.

Hurrying back to Snape manor, Severus and Harry set up the bar and decorations in the gigantic ballroom fully equipped with a wizard form of a stereo system that was to constantly play rhythmic music.

All of it was wizard music, of course; though Severus was quite the Queen fan.

Dimming the lights to give it a more party-feel, Harry nodded at Severus and they went upstairs to change into their costumes.

Harry wore a Jack of Diamonds costume with a red and white mask with feathers on one side fanning out.

His costume was half red and half white with corresponding diamonds on both sides.

Severus picked the Ace of Spades costume that was similar to Harry's except the diamonds were spades and the colors were black and white.

He had used a charm to pluck all the feathers off his mask.

They had picked out a similar costume for Draco that was designed as the King of Hearts fully equipped with a scepter and crown.

Now all they had to do was wait for everyone to arrive and go to the Weasley's to get Draco.

Conveniently quickly, all of the guests arrived within fifteen minutes before the deadline.

"Alright Harry, everyone is present and accounted for except for the Weasley's and Drac." Severus reported.

"Right, I'll be back soon. And remember to hide." Harry said as Severus used a transfiguring spell to hide his costume.

Apparating to Hermione and Ron's house, Harry knocked on the door.

Draco opened it with a coy grin, "Time to depart for my amazing party?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "No. It's just time for you to head back home. Severus was worried that you would start bugging the Weasley's too much by now."

"Uh huh. Of course dear brother. See you later at my party Weasley family!" Draco called with a wave as he shut the door, "Unless of course it's a 'party' party." He said with a smug grin and using his fingers to form quotes for emphasis.

Harry rolled his eyes again and apparated.

All the lights were off at the mansion as Harry and Draco walked up the steps.

"Oooh… the excitement is killing me! I can't wait to see what you've done this year." Draco said with a wide grin, practically bouncing up the steps.

Harry snorted.

"_I'm getting excited as well. I wonder what firewhisky tastes like…"_

"_**Oh quiet, you."**_

Opening the door, Harry waited for Draco to bounce inside before closing it (with some difficulty) and walking towards the quiet ballroom.

Turning to face Draco before opening the doors, Harry raised his wand and transfigured Draco's clothes into his King of Hearts costume before transfiguring into his own.

"Oooh goodie! I have a scepter."

Harry chuckled and opened the doors.

A resounding "SURPRISE!" met them as they walked into the ballroom that started to come alive.

The music started up, couples started to dance, banners flashed, confetti spurted, and the bar opened.

"Brilliant!" Draco grinned happily and hugged Harry tightly, "This is amazing, Harry. Where's Severus? I need to give him a hug."

Harry laughed and pointed him out at the bar.

"_Hey now, what say you to having a drink? I could take over."_

"**_Alright, if I say no you'll just keep bugging me. So, fine."_**

"_Great!"_

Feeling a tingling sensation, Harry found himself back inside his subconscious form as Godric sauntered over to the bar.

"Firewhisky please, straight up."

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Harry sighed, continuing to stare at the ceiling above his bed.

It must have been almost early morning, the tentative birds were periodically chirping.

"_Stupid Godric. I missed all of the party because that git got drunk and passed out."_

Harry sat up and drew his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them and his mind going into thought.

Or… more like a daze.

His mind recently had been going back to that day at the pond…

_A haunting voice hummed a familiar tune from the direction of the water._

_Harry turned his head; the water looked the same, swirling with calming colors of radiating blue and green._

_The voice was bell-like, clear, and sounded somewhat of a child._

_Harry knew this tune._

Harry found himself whispering the words, "And Odo the hero, they bore him back home to the place he had known as a lad. They laid him to rest with his hat inside out and his wand snapped in two, which was sad."

Furrowing his brow at a thought, Harry pulled back the covers, ignored the cold floor nipping at his toes, and walked quietly out of his room.

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Severus Snape had always been a calm person- well, usually.

He had always kept his head when in compromising situations.

And this certainly was one.

They hadn't seen Harry for a whole day.

Severus and Draco were taking shifts for staying at the mansion in case Harry came back, but so far no one had seen the raven-haired war hero.

Severus sighed heavily and slouched forlornly with his face in his hands.

A comforting hand squeezed his shoulder.

"Don't you worry, Severus. It's only been a day. I'll bet he's just off doing some work. Maybe he needed something to help him get over that major hangover."

Severus forced a pained smile, at least to ebb the worry evident in the woman's voice, "I know. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

She smiled, "Severus, I've told you. Call me Hermione. We've been through enough to be on first-name terms."

Severus only nodded, going back to staring at the wood table.

Eventually he heard the young woman's footsteps leaving the kitchen.

He was about to lay his head down on the table when someone spoke from the doorway.

"S-Sev?" A pained voice sobbed, and little feet pounded on the floor as Severus turned so the sad girl could grab onto his leg.

"Ssshhh." He soothed, stroking her hair, "It's alright, they're going to find Uncle Harry soon."

Lily hiccupped, wiped away at her cheeks with closed fists, then choked out, "I w-w-want unce-ew Hawwy now."

Severus smiled sadly, "We all do, but for now we'll have to wait."

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Harry had been missing for three straight days.

No one had any clue as to where he was.

It had Hermione practically depressed, she had become somewhat like a mother figure ever since the war and her marriage to Ron.

After Severus left the Weasley house, hoping to calm Hermione down some and stop her from over-working herself in searching for Harry, he walked solemnly down the cobbled path.

He needed some air.

The worry inside the house was stifling.

Severus headed in the direction of Snape manor with plans to turn around further down the street to continue in helping with the search.

Hermione had insisted on living close to the manor ever since…

Well, ever since the betrayal.

Mundungas had set fire to their house in Little Whinging to lure the aurors out of the house and meet a group of death eaters outside.

Fortunately they were a smart group and promptly apparated out of there to the park nearby Harry's house where they immediately took him away to safety for a brief period in number 12 Grimmuald place.

After becoming attached to the former potions master, Harry left the dreary Grimmuald place and went to live with him and Draco, whom he had become good friends with at the house after sharing similar likes and home situations.

They soon became like brothers.

Severus could always count on them to cheer up his day; though he had no idea how their boss at the ministry put up with them.

They were quite the trouble-makers when they were together.

Since they both never really had childhoods, now that they had the chance they often behaved like children.

Surprisingly this made them quite the desired bachelors in the Wizarding world as well as predominantly in the Ministry of Magic.

Severus chuckled to himself when his mind compared the two to the Weasley twins.

Now those two were trouble.

He highly doubted there was a single child or teenager who didn't know their names.

The twins were infamous for their jokes, and adorable miniaturized animals.

They certainly made a name for themselves; each had their own mansion in practically every lovely countryside.

Their mother was positively ecstatic when they each gave her one of their mansions in the Swiss Alps and Hawaii.

She was rarely seen at home except for the monthly family gathering.

Severus turned his head from where he was sitting at the kitchen table when he heard footsteps at the door (he had gotten back a little bit earlier).

"Ron?" Hermione asked anxiously, getting up from her chair at the kitchen table and walking briskly over to her exhausted-looking husband and questioning eagerly, "Did you find him? Is he alright?"

Ron gave her a reassuring smile and rubbed her shoulders comfortingly, "He's fine. He said he went over to a nearby hotel to get some things together for work."

Hermione sighed and visibly relaxed, leaning against her husband with a relieved smile.

Ron smiled warmly at the familiar and comforting embrace, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her back.

Severus had stood up briskly as soon as he heard the news and walked quickly to the front door.

"You know I'll always choose you."

Hermione pulled away from the embrace with a questioning look.

Ron was still smiling, "Earlier you asked me which I loved more, Quidditch or my family."

Hermione turned her head to hide her tears.

Ron tilted her chin so she faced him, tears rolling down her cheeks, and whispered lovingly, "You know I'll always choose you."

Hermione sniffed and looked back to the floor.

Ron blinked, "uh… are… we alright now?"

Hermione laughed, wrapped her arms around Ron, and kissed him hard.

Slightly panting, Ron chuckled, "I'll take that as a yes."

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Little Lily Weasley walked down the hallway from her bedroom.

She had been woken up by the sound of the front door closing; it had done that many times that night.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a yawn, she gazed up at the person who had initiated the sound that had woken her up from a pleasant dream.

She instantly giggled excitedly and hugged the leg of her dear-

"Uncew Hawwy!"

Severus smiled at the little Weasley, he would have to wait to talk to Harry.

Then she noticed something.

"Waz dat?" She asked, pointing to a shiny sphere of light that flittered about every now and then close to Harry.

Harry watched the light as well, and answered, "That's Asema."

Still entranced by the floating orb, Lily asked inquisitively, "Wazzan Asma?"

Harry chuckled, "His name is Asema, and… well I'm… I'm not sure what he is exactly. I found the little guy just outside the hotel I've been staying in."

"And what Hotel was that?" Severus questioned, his fatherly instincts kicking in.

Harry appeared nonchalant, "I don't recall. Would it be alright if I went up to bed? I'm rather tired."

"G'night uncew Hawwy!" Lily waved, and then bounced happily off to the kitchen.

All was right in her world, but not Severus'.

Something was off.

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_POP_

Draco jumped up from his tense position in his chair, "Is Harry back? Is he alright?"

Severus merely nodded, settling in his black chair with a perplexed look.

Draco furrowed his brow with a confused chuckle, "For a man who just found his lost son, you don't look too excited."

Severus didn't make any sign that he had heard him.

Sighing in exasperation, Draco walked over to the liquor cabinet and grabbed the gin and a glass.

Pouring the glass half full, Draco handed it to Severus and asked, "What's wrong? You always have that look when something is wrong."

Taking the glass with a questioning look, Severus didn't even have to ask.

Draco shrugged, "Gin calms you down. Now, talk."

Taking a sip, Severus said with a shrug, "Something doesn't seem right with Harry. He doesn't seem… himself."

He took another sip.

Draco blinked, "How so?"

Severus shook his head, "He seems so distant; even when you're right in front of him, talking to him. Then there's the floating orb he calls Asema."

Draco looked at Severus as though he was already smashed, "Floating orb?"

Severus nodded, "A glowing orb that flew about like a snitch. Ever heard of something like that?"

Draco shook his head, eyes furrowed, "Can't say that I have, but I'll look into it. Has Harry already gone to bed?"

Severus nodded and took another sip, "He's staying over at the Weasley's. He looked too tired to apparate over here."

"I hope he's alright. I'll go over to the Weasley's tomorrow and make speculations of my own. Right now I'm going to go upstairs and have the best sleep I've had in three days. Goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight son. Hopefully we will be able to solve some of these mysteries tomorrow."

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"_Do you sssseeeenssse it my ssssharrer?" _

"Yes… yes I sense it. There is a Vampire in our adversary's midst."

"_Perhapsssss we can persssuade them to our sssssside."_

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Yeah. Terrible ending, I know. Hopefully you enjoyed the chappy. I might just keep making chapters every month and make them longer since school has started back up.

Yeah... yeah I think that's what I'll do. Please review! Anything to keep me motivated to continue would be excellent.

Did you like Valentine? Wasn't he delightful? I just loved him. Oh, and the reason that he is so crazy will come up in a later chapter. Probably the next one so that I won't forget.

Until next time!

--Cheesy Soy--


	18. The Potion

I could never apologize enough for putting off this story for so long. I am so so so so sorry!! My classes give out SO much homework it's tragic... and I really haven't had the inspiration.

Until Thursday! I had just heard about Pan's Labyrinth (isn't it sad that it took so long?) and am planning on seeing it Friday the 16th. Ra! I looked up the soundtrack, cause the music in the trailer was wicked, and IT'S GORGEOUS!! I was filled with inspiration in crushing waves throughout my whole body to my tingling fingertips and they burst out all over the keys and the plot ideas flowed and- GAH! it was great.

Thus, I give you a new chapter.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J. K. Rowling and her brilliant compiling mind.

I recommend listening to 'A Tale' (from the Pan's Labyrinth soundtrack) when I insert _-song-,_ cause it'll really flow. And you'll get to actually hear it... it's kind of hard to imagine, but do your best if you can't get the song.

Here's a link for a portion of it:

h t t p / m u s i c . b a r n e s a n d n o b l e . c o m / s e a r c h / m e d i a p l a y e r . a s p ? e a n 7 3 1 3 8 3 6 1 9 0 2 1 & z y & b n i t H & b n r e f e r 0 - 1 0 0 0 0 - 6 0 4 8 0 - 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 & t r a c k 1 3 & d i s c 1

Just, you know, take out all the spaces.

Enjoy!

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**Taking a sip of gin, Severus said with a shrug, "Something doesn't seem right with Harry. He doesn't seem… himself."**

**He took another sip.**

**Draco blinked, "How so?"**

**Severus shook his head, "He seems so distant; even when you're right in front of him, talking to him. Then there's the floating orb he calls Asema."**

**Draco looked at Severus as though he was already smashed, "Floating orb?"**

**Severus nodded, "A glowing orb that flew about like a snitch. Ever heard of something like that?"**

**Draco shook his head, eyes furrowed, "Can't say that I have, but I'll look into it. Has Harry already gone to bed?"**

**Severus nodded and took another sip, "He's staying over at the Weasley's. He looked too tired to apparate over here."**

**"I hope he's alright. I'll go over to the Weasley's tomorrow and make speculations of my own. Right now I'm going to go upstairs and have the best sleep I've had in days. Goodnight, dad."**

**"Goodnight son. Hopefully we will be able to solve some of these mysteries tomorrow."**

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**"_Do you sssseeeenssse it my ssssharrer?" _**

**"Yes… yes I sense it. There is a Vampire in our adversary's midst."**

**"_Perhapsssss we can persssuade them to our sssssside."_**

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Gasping, Draco woke from his fitful sleep.

A chilled sweat clung to his forehead and threatened to drip into his wide and terrified eyes.

Harry wasn't the only one who had nightmares.

The brothers often found comfort by sleeping on the couch in each others' rooms when a nagging horror of the war plagued them in their dreams.

Severus always kept an extra blanket on their couches in case this happened; though it was not frequent any longer.

But tonight was different.

Draco's breath was slow and raspy; the nipping night air laboriously filled his lungs with a slight rattle.

His lungs weren't what they used to be.

_Stumbling through bodies, blood seeped though his robes, licking and biting at his legs and arms as a reminder of those on the dark side he had killed._

_He searched frantically for Harry, to warn him of the oncoming horde._

_Screaming out, his voice thundering up his raw throat, Draco clutched the gash across his chest as hot pain seared through his veins._

_His torn skin was stretching with every shaky breath he took._

_Stumbling to his knees, Draco fought back the bile in his throat._

_His teeth gnashed together._

_His eyes clamped tightly._

_Draco just had to get to Harry._

_Still clutching his chest tightly, his nails digging into his swelling flesh, Draco steadied himself and stumbled on._

_"IMPEDIMENTA!"_

_A red flash blared from a nearby hilltop._

_Dull yelling reached his ears as he quickened his fumbling pace, avoiding dismembered and disemboweled bodies as best he could._

_"CRUCIO!"_

_A green light blinded Draco for a moment, but didn't stop his feet from moving faster._

_A cold dread crept up his throbbing chest and enveloped his aching heart._

_Earth shattering screams fueled his dread into full-fledged panic._

_That was Harry's voice._

_Clamoring up the hill, Draco formed his hands into rigid claw, ripping at the ground to give him leverage up the slope._

_He was going too slowly._

_Faster._

_Faster._

_Almost there._

_The green was nearly blinding._

_Bolts from Voldemort's wand whipped out and coiled around Harry's twitching and twisting frame._

_Blood trickled from his eyes, nose, and mouth like a steady stream._

_"HARRY!"_

_Draco screamed, lunging off the steep hill and tossing his beaten body into the tendrils of green fire._

_Searing, white hot pain._

_His throat burned with how loud he was screaming. _

_He only stopped to cough up blood that had filled his torn esophagus._

_The gash across his chest tightened and stretched, blood soaking deep into the ground._

_Darkness started to envelope his senses._

_He didn't care anymore._

_Anything to escape the pain._

_Harry._

_Harry..._

_He heard a faint, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" and then surrendered to the merciful darkness._

_The bitter smell of alcohol reached his twitching nose._

_Consciousness languidly lapped at his mind, making him gradually aware that he was indeed alive, that Harry must have defeated Voldemort and that his chest hurt like hell._

_Draco attempted to groan but bit back the guttural noise when his chest and throat burned like he had swallowed fiery coal._

_His eyes snapped open, immediately cringing at the violent light._

_Draco lifted a weary arm and rubbed his throat lightly, it was odd how his skin on the outside felt no pain, yet the inside still throbbed and sweltered as if it was burned raw._

_"Ah, Mr. Malfoy I see you are awake." Poppy sounded, her crisp footsteps making their quick way to his bedside. "How do you feel?"_

_He glared chillingly at her, knowing she was well aware that he couldn't speak._

_"Well don't be all huffy about it." She bristled like an insulted cat, "Be glad that you're even alive."_

_A menacing thought agitated his panic and his eyes widened. _

_'Harry,' he mouthed desperately._

_"Fine; fine. Right now he's in a wizard's coma, but-"_

_Draco's eyes widened and his mouth clenched, COMA?! "You-" He wheezed, the fire flared in his throat and forced him to quiet._

_Draco's eyes watered as he clutched his neck, his nails imbedding red crescents as the pain agonizingly dissipated slowly._

_"Now, now; don't fret so. Harry's magic was drained, that's why he is in a wizard's coma. His magic just needs some time to rejuvenate itself and he'll be good as new." _

_Poppy tutted as she smoothed down the crisp white sheet on his mattress, "Don't worry so much. One would think Severus adopted you two earlier than last week at graduation."_

_"Now," she returned to her business voice, gesturing to his bedside table, "Take the purple potion on the spot and the brown one later tonight." _

_She turned on her worn white heel, "Goodnight Mr. Malfoy."_

_Draco nodded, catching a smile her face was battling as she turned away._

_He rolled his heavy and aching eyes._

_All the teachers were positively ecstatic when they heard Draco and Harry were no longer rivals, but step-brothers._

_The staff was weary at first, thinking the teenage boys' feud would be fueled by Severus' decision, but realized, with expected astonishment, that the two had taken to the idea rather quickly._

_The two boys had long grown sick of the constant fighting to the point where it was more of an act. _

_It started when Draco had joined the side of the light, along with those who were more loyal to him than even their parents._

_Their duels with spells turned into mere bickering and throwing insults around to keep up appearances._

_They both knew to keep everything they possibly could the same for the sake of steadying the tipping morale of students._

_The students at Hogwarts would not feel as frightened if most of their daily life went unchanged._

_Draco and Harry had both made this silent agreement._

_Their agreement ghosted through the halls and stones of the castle, from the cozy Gryffindor tower far below to the luxurious Slytherin labyrinth at night when thoughts of the war flittered about their semiconscious mind like a withering butterfly._

_Now that Severus adopted them both, Draco felt closeness to Harry as if he were his blood-brother, as was Wizard magic on adopting matters._

_The boys could even alter their traits to become reminiscent of the Snape line if they wished, yet both declined with a twinkle of mirth they reflected in their eyes._

_Severus was scowling for a week._

_He was rather disappointed._

_A grin spread wide over Draco's face, remembering his fond memories._

Draco's fears had dissipated, thinking into his life with his dear brother, Harry, and his cynical yet loving father, Severus, the lingering self-doubt and chilling fear of his nightmare had ghosted away, not even leaving the smallest dregs of fear.

Breathing deep, controlling the rattling of his lungs which had been burned by the cruciatus, Draco sighed into his mattress.

His pillow was soft and deep.

The rumbling of Severus' deep snoring lumbered up the stairs.

Sleep languidly reached out to Draco, aided with Severus' snoring, it caressed his conscious and lulled him to sleep.

His eyes grew leaded, his breathing steadied, and a small smile lingered at his lips.

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A lazy sun peeked over the window sill in Draco's room.

Sunlight slowly crept up his shimmering silver bed hangings and climbed up onto his bleach white mattress.

Draco groaned; he felt like he had just fallen asleep.

_Stupid sun._

Breathing in the crisp morning air, Draco languidly maneuvered his arms under him and pushed his aching body up.

_It's too early…._

He flopped back down into the comfort of his feather-soft sheets.

A rude knock banged at his door.

"Draco?"

_Stupid Severus…_

Draco cracked a lazily squinting eye open.

_Stupid sun…_

BANG! BONG! BANG!

"DRACO?"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" He groaned into his pillow.

"Get up."

_What a bollocks command._

Groaning again for good measure, in the case that his dear father hadn't heard him, Draco levered his languid arms under his weary body once more and effectively pushed himself up…

…and directly into the floor.

Draco Malfoy Snape was **not** a morning person.

"Stop tumbling onto the floor! You might get blood on the carpet." Footsteps followed this loving remark.

Draco glared at the door.

_Why dad, thanks so much for the concern for my welfare. I absolutely have no inkling on how to respond accordingly._

THUUNNNNK

Draco sighed wearily and dropped his arm.

_Great! Now I have to retrieve my shoe._

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Draco flounced down the stairs uncaringly, attempting to dispel the annoying heaviness sitting contentedly on his eyelids and the fiercely threatening yawn that was all too eager to lumber up and out of his clamped mouth.

Malfoys do not perform vulgar bodily functions such as yawning.

The very idea of one doing so is preposterous.

Severus turned from his relaxed position in his black leather chair, "A very good morning to you, son."

Draco narrowed his eyes menacingly and gnashed his teeth together at a more violent threat by the persistent yawn.

He slumped into his green leather chair regally.

_Bugger!_

Draco yawned wide.

His tired body relaxed even deeper into the chair after the fact.

Now the heaviness on his eyelids grew stronger, and Draco found himself given in gladly.

"WAKE UP."

Draco jumped, the adrenaline ebbing away at the angry heaviness that slowly returned to his eyes.

He whined pitifully, "Whaaa-aaat?"

Severus rolled his eyes, "What would your father think if he saw you now?"

Keeping his eyes closed, Draco answered cheekily, "That it's inhuman to wake me up at this ungodly hour."

"It's ten."

A sarcastic smirk easily found its way to Draco's mouth, "Oh! Well then by all means let's begin the day. It's so late, why didn't you wake me up sooner you old codger? Utterly mad you are."

Severus sighed, "If you wish to return to the warmth of your bed, by all means, I'm not stopping you. I'll just retrieve your brother on my own."

He stood to leave.

"Gah!" Draco rubbed at his eyes and got to his feet with only a slight stumble, "Alright, alright, I'm coming with you."

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Severus only had to knock once when a slightly worried and pensive Hermione opened the door, "Oh, good! I was wondering when you two would arrive. Please, come in."

Severus nodded and stepped through the door, nudging Draco none too gently from his relaxed position against the post.

Draco's eyes snapped open and his face resumed its usual bored nonchalance as he stepped into the Weasley household.

_Honestly, would it be that painful to buy fancier furniture?_

He sniffed in distaste, shying away from an old cabinet full of antique plates.

Draco furrowed his brow and pursed his lips quizzically.

_What is it with people and antique plates?_

Severus is quite fond of his that he had received from his dear old mum.

A warm hand on his arm turned his attention away from the plates; Hermione's curious face greeted his irritated eyes.

"Those were my mother's plates. She was a collector." Her smile became tight lipped and she turned to the kitchen, "May I offer you some tea?"

Draco grimaced, "No, no thank you. It's a bit too early for my taste."

Hermione chuckled from the kitchen, "Not a morning person?"

Draco came close to snorting, "Hardly."

The sound of padded footsteps reached Draco's ears.

His head turned quickly to seek out the source of the noise, his eyes eager to see his brother alive and well.

Tuffs of knotted moose brown hair.

Robin's-egg blue eyes.

It was Brian.

The twinkle in Draco's eyes dimmed.

The left side of his mouth twitched in the shadow of a smile, he was too weary with disappointment.

Draco swallowed the hardening lump in his throat and nodded stiffly, eyes burning and trained to the ornately patterned swirls in the carpet.

Brian walked passed him into the kitchen without a word or any sign that he had acknowledged his presence at all.

At least, from what Draco could tell from his fine perspective of the carpet rug.

A whining whistle awoke his senses from where they had retreated into numbness at his brother failing to appear.

His aching heart was still plagued by worry.

_How long have I been staring at the carpet?_

_Too long_, Draco mused, his steps stiff as his muscles woke up and stretched on his way to the kitchen.

_Has it always been so far?_

The hallway seemed to stretch with each wearied step he took.

Draco quickened his pace, yet it still grew longer.

His brain quickly told him this was not logical, he should be getting closer to the kitchen, not farther away.

His legs were moving, yet he could not feel the hardness of the wood floor as it should rise up to meet his desperate footsteps.

His breath came in shuddering gasps as the tears burned his eyes once more in confusion.

A silhouette loomed at the end of the hall, its shadow stretching with the hallway.

It turned towards him and his pace quickened.

Why wasn't he getting any closer?!

The light illuminated the weary face as its expression erupted with joy at seeing Draco and a desperate hand thrust out to him.

_Harry._

Draco's eyes furrowed as his eyes grew heavy.

_What?_

The hallway blurred and the maroon carpet swirled together with the beige walls.

Harry's face contorted with desperation and his hand reached farther towards Draco.

He was mouthing something… but…

_Why can't I hear anything?_

Draco felt weightless.

His breath came more rapidly now.

_What's happening?_

He found himself trying to look forward, but he found his eyes looking farther and farther up the wall and finally to the near blindingly white ceiling.

He was falling.

_Harry…_

Blackness.

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Ebony mist encircled him, wisping languidly about his prone form.

Where was he?

Vaguely, Draco felt a dull throbbing through his head, down his throat even and to his aching lungs.

He winced, wheezing painfully as his lungs expanded.

Struggling to sit up, Draco found he was oddly unable to control his body.

He couldn't move.

Wait…

There were faint voices.

His eyes swiveled around the vast black mist… but he saw nothing.

Draco felt oddly lightheaded… like he was dreaming.

The voices were louder now, and the throbbing in his head became more prominent.

His eyes fluttered closed, and as he lifted his heavy lids, he was met by blurry forms and bright light.

Draco winced, and then relaxed as his eyes got used to the light and gradually came to full awareness.

He felt his soft mattress under him, the smoothness of his pillow and the comforting smell of something burnt and soothing peppermint from his father, Sev.

Then his nose whiffed the somewhat pine-like musk of his brother, who was looking worriedly down at him.

The pounding in his head was no longer dull; Draco closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the migraine.

"What 'append?" He slurred, still coming to full consciousness.

"You collapsed in the hall." Severus whispered; worry lacing his words with no pretense to hide it.

Severus leaned over Draco and smoothed back his silver hair that had fallen across his sweaty forehead.

Instead of taking his hand away, Severus stroked Draco's hair with a slightly trembling hand, his concerned gaze never faltering from Draco's face.

Draco sighed contentedly as his migraine dulled once more, and opened his eyes.

His brow furrowed in concern.

Severus' eyes were pooling with tears.

A single drop caressed down his worn face, and Draco lifted a pale, thin hand and wiped it away with his thumb.

"I thought I'd lost you." Severus whispered, voice nearly cracking, his hand stroking Draco's hair with more pressure, "My dragon. My dear, dear dragon."

Severus sobbed, dropping his head to rest on Draco's shoulder.

Draco buried his face in his crying father's collar and closed his eyes, rubbing a soothing hand across Severus' back and losing a battle against consciousness.

He needed rest.

With a small smile at his father's warmth and the softness of his peppermint-smelling cloak, Draco fell into a comfortable slumber.

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_-song-_

Consciousness weighted down his mind as Draco gradually became aware of the high tinkling and steady low rumbling of a piano.

Severus was playing his song.

His lips quirked into a happy, yet sad, smile.

Draco sat up and leant on his pillows, gazing at his father's swaying back as he skillfully kneaded each key in perfect time with the vivid atmosphere of the moving tune.

The song was sad, yet caressed the air with a mood of everlasting love through that veil of sadness.

Draco closed his eyes.

Wisps of gleaming blond hair knotted in a delicate bun.

A delicately flowing emerald dress that kissed the ground softly as it moved with the lithe and poised body.

Smooth, dexterously thin hands kneading the smooth keys as a warm and smiling face gazed back at Draco's enchanted young form.

He used to love watching her play the piano.

She would softly sway with the music and, in turn, the piano would exude notes that bathed the air in hypnotic waves.

Her grinning face glowed and her soft grey-blue eyes twinkled when she played their grand piano…

…his lovely mother, Narcissa.

A warm hand wiped away the solitary tear on his cheek.

Draco opened his eyes to see Severus' worried face.

His chest was cold and aching.

Draco leaned into Severus' warmth and buried his weeping face into his comforting cloak.

The sobs made his body tremble as Severus rocked them back and forth, stroking his thin and soft silver hair and humming his mother's tune.

His father's voice was deep and lulling.

Soon, Draco found himself acquainted with the healing darkness once more.

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A large, warm hand lightly squeezed his shoulder.

"Draco." Severus' voice whispered.

Draco blearily opened his eyes, he had slept too long.

Fiercely fighting back a yawn, Draco rubbed his heavy eyes.

"The potion is ready."

Draco's eyes shot open and he leapt out of bed.

His legs were restless.

Draco paced as thoughts swarmed around in his head.

He remembered when Godric had first revealed to them that there was indeed a counter potion...

**_Harry's eyes widened in recognition of something that the Gryffindor founder had said, "Godric?"_**

**_Draco assumed Godric replied._**

**_"What was that you said earlier about a counter-potion?" Harry asked, sharing an eager look with Severus and Draco._**

**_Godric must have answered, for then _****_Harry grinned and said, "It'll only take him five days to make!"_**

That had been six days ago, and Severus had used Godric's notes on the potion and his expertise to create it with the ingredients he had.

_Would the potion work?_

_Will Harry go back to the right time?_

_What if it kills him?_

Distressed hands groped at his hair and Draco ground his teeth, then turned to face his father.

Severus smiled softly, "He'll be fine. The potion, if unsuccessful, will not do anything if it does not work."

Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him as he relaxed, his arms falling to his sides and a contented sigh escaping his lips.

Severus' smile warmed, "Run a brush through your hair, dragon, and meet us in the living room."

Severus successfully dodged another shoe.

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The room was bathed in light green mist swirling about the floor.

Severus had turned the lights off and lit the fireplace; its warm crackling filled the air as its brilliant reds clashed with the slinking green.

Shadows cast eerily up the walls from the furniture that had been moved back to make room for the medium-sized cauldron.

Draco stepped through the door in his black cloak and combed silver hair in place.

Smiling somewhat sadly, he embraced his brother.

"Be safe, Harry."

Harry nodded.

Draco turned to Severus, who was stirring the contents of the cauldron that was emitting the lime-like mist.

"Is it finished?"

With a final stir, Severus withdrew the stir-stick and scooped up a light foam with a large vial.

"Yes, the potion is finished now."

Draco sighed and turned to his brother.

Severus stood beside him and handing the vial out to Harry with a small smile of his own, "Hopefully this will return you to your time, my lion. I wish you well."

Harry rose an eyebrow as he took the vial and looked at the contents reproachfully, "Hopefully?"

Severus chuckled, "No harm will come to you if it does not work, son."

Harry smiled somewhat sheepishly, "So, um… do I drink it?"

Severus nodded with a coy smirk, "Ignore the taste."

With a frown, Harry pinched his nose and lifted the vial to his lips.

"Wait, wait!" Severus said, his words hardly distinguishable through his laughing, "I'm sorry… haha! Aha… aah. It's um… eha… it's not to drink. I wanted to see if you would actually try to."

Harry frowned and glared.

Draco smacked Severus' shoulder, "How could you do that?"

Severus shrugged, "You're not the only one to pull small pranks, I merely wanted to see how brave our lion is. Apparently, he's willing to swallow goop. Forgive me Harry."

Harry shrugged with a half-smile, "It's alright. I know you wouldn't put me in any danger." He looked down at the foam, "I'm rather relieved actually. So, what do I do with it?"

"Spread it on the floor in a circle, and envision the place you most feel at home and think of nothing else. Grasp onto that picture firmly, and you should end up there… if it works."

Draco rolled his eyes, "You're so confident."

Severus stiffened, "It's terribly difficult to make your own potion, little dragon. I can't ensure anything without proper testing, and, as I'm sure you can ascertain, it is impossible to test this potion. I am merely relying on instincts and potion ingredient knowledge."

Draco sniffed, "Well, sorry."

Severus smiled, "I accept your apology."

Nudging his father with a shake of his head and a smile, Draco gestured to Harry, "Go on, it's about time you got back."

Harry smiled and leant down, tilting the vial and spreading the green foam in a circle around him.

The foam grew brighter in intensity as he came closer to closing the circle, soon it was positively glowing and Draco had to slightly shield his eyes.

That's when he saw him.

Brian.

His eyes widened and his hand dropped.

Harry was an inch away when Brian stepped out from behind the couch.

"HARRY!"

Brian leapt into the circle just as Harry's head snapped up and the circle was complete.

There was a blinding flash of green as Draco bolted after them.

Draco's hands formed fists on the carpet.

They were gone.

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Bum bum baaaaaaaaaaaaa! Yeah... I'll try my best not to take too long in giving you guys an update. I'll certainly not take uhm... about five months. hehe... sorry again.

Drop a review! I would love feedback.

Ja ne!

Oh, and did you catch something that's different? Maybe the POV? hmmm... wonder why.

I'll leave you to ponder. Bwaha.


	19. Spinners' Deadly Encounter

Terribly sorry for your wait! That was really aweful of me. I really really really really really really really really really really wanted to finish this before the final book, but that just isn't going to happen. I worked on this chappy all night, so I hope you enjoy it. The next one may take a bit. I need to figure out loose ends that I need to tie and all that jazz.

Oh, and the last chappy might have some spoilers in it, since I'd have read the last book when it's posted.

Disclaimer: If I owned HP, I would have had to have stolen it. And that isn't an easy feat. Certainly not a feat that I'm willing to dare. So sadly, no. HP and the ideas within are not mine. Nor is the idea that vampires cry blood. That's Anne Rice.

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**Harry smiled and leant down, tilting the vial and spreading the green foam in a circle around him.**

**The foam grew brighter in intensity as he came closer to closing the circle, soon it was positively glowing and Draco had to slightly shield his eyes.**

**That's when he saw him.**

**Brian.**

**His eyes widened and his hand dropped.**

**Harry was an inch away when Brian stepped out from behind the couch.**

**"HARRY!"**

**Brian leapt into the circle just as Harry's head snapped up and the circle was complete.**

**There was a blinding flash of green as Draco bolted after them.**

**Draco's hands formed fists on the carpet.**

**They were gone.**

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His head was pounding, his throat was itchy and sore, and rough sheets scratched his back.

Harry opened his eyes carefully, wincing at the bright light and an odd tingling in his eyes.

He was at Saint Mungos, but… how did he know that?

Sitting up slowly, Harry turned his stiff neck toward the wall that had vases upon vases of roses along the whole length of it.

Tilting his head downward, Harry saw a person that had fallen asleep in a chair with her head cradled in her arms on the bed.

Her hair was tangled and copper red.

Who was she?

Harry squinted and tilted his head, peering at her worn face peppered with freckles.

She looked to be in her late twenties, and though she was asleep, she looked worn.

Who was she?

Harry looked to the wooden door in the middle of the bland white wall, expecting someone to come in and explain everything to him.

He blinked, who was _he_?

Harry looked at the table beside his bed, finding a drawer so full of letters it couldn't close.

With a weak arm, he reached over to the drawer and picked up a crisp letter, bringing it back to him and scanning over the ink marks.

What did it say?

Harry stared at it confusedly with growing anxiousness.

Why couldn't he read it?

A cold dread gripped his heart.

He couldn't read.

With mounting anger towards himself, Harry hurled the letter over the edge of his bed, wincing at the faint flutter and small clap it made when it hit the ground.

The red-headed woman stirred.

Harry pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face against the warm cotton blanket, staining it with his frustrated tears.

The woman gasped.

Harry rocked back and forth, not wanting her to notice a boy who didn't know how to read or even know his name.

"H-harry?" The woman asked tentatively, as if speaking with a ghost that had disappeared for many years.

He stopped crying, and tilted his head up to look at the woman.

"Harry," He tried, the name coming out gravelly with his sore throat that hadn't been used for awhile, "Is that my name?" He asked, staring at the woman's expressive green eyes.

She nodded once, the excitement dulled in her green orbs, but was still there, "Your name is Harry James Potter."

He mouthed the name, taking a liking to it and his lips twitched into a small smile.

His gaze found hers again, and he asked, "And what's your name?"

She breathed in quickly as if he had hit her, and looked down at the bed sheet, "I'm Ginny. Ginerva Weasley."

Harry frowned, "Why are you sad?"

The woman, Ginny, looked up with red eyes and tears threatening to spill, "Because…b-because you've been gone for so long, and I can't," She sobbed, "I can't bare that you don't know me."

Tears ran freely down her weathered cheeks, her eyes a dull brown that ached for him to remember her.

Harry bit his lip, encircling his legs with is arms and hugging them to his chest and whispered, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head, wiping the tears with the back of her hand, "At least you're awake."

Harry frowned, "I was asleep?"

Ginny nodded, taking his hand in a wet, shaky, thin one of her own, and whispered back, peering into his eyes and searching for the man she once knew, "For ten years."

Harry stared at the woman.

"W-what?"

Ginny took a breath, and said as steadily as she could, "Since the end of the battle with Voldemort, you've been comatose, Harry. You've been asleep for the past ten years as the world restored itself from the destruction of the battle."

Harry shook his head, taking back his hand and gripped the sheets, rocking back and forth once more, the cold dread clenched at his heart, "That can't be right. I'm…" With a rush, he remembered the Futurus Verisimilus, living with Snape and Draco, his visions, and traveling to the future and back to his present… or… no, it was his past.

"What about the potion?" He demanded, fisting a hand through his tangled sable hair, scrambling to understand.

"I'm not back in my time! It didn't work. Severus!" He yelled up to the ceiling, "Severus, take me back! The potion didn't work, I'm in another time!"

Ginny gripped the sides of his face and turned him towards her frightened face, "Harry… Harry, stop. What are you talking about? There is was no potion that you took. _What _are you talking about?"

"Futurus Verisimilus. It made me go into the future and back to the present." He explained, hoping that she would understand, "Severus gave me a counter potion and now I'm in another…" he looked around, "place… in time. I guess. Maybe even another dimension."

Ginny shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes again, "Harry, you've been here this whole time. You dreamt those things." She took a steadying breath, stroking his cheek, "It wasn't real."

Harry slapped her hand away, clenching his teeth and shaking his head, "You're wrong. I'm not supposed to be here."

He threw his covers off and stood shakily, falling back onto the bed.

Ginny placed a shaky hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, "Harry… you should stay in bed. I'll go get you some food."

Harry shook his head, turning to face her, "You don't _understand_. I'm not supposed to be here. I need to find Severus so he can fix this." He snorted, "I haven't even _fought_ Voldemort yet. I haven't seen the final battle, _this isn't my time_."

He tried to rise again, but Ginny's hand tightened and pushed him back down.

Harry frowned.

Ginny sat on her knees on the mattress, scooting over to sit beside him.

"Harry, you won't be able to find Severus."

His brows creased, searching her pitying face with growing anxiety and anger, "Why?"

"Because he sacrificed himself to save you and me." A voice said from the doorway.

Harry turned, seeing a tall, aristocratic-looking man with long blond hair.

"What do you mean, sacrifice himself? And just who are you?" Harry asked, his heart sinking and eyes swelling with tears.

The man took a breath, and whispered, "V-voldemort… aimed the killing curse at us… and… and Severus-"

"No…"

"Harry, Severus is d-"

"HE ISN'T DEAD!" Harry roared, ripping himself away from Ginny and stumbling over to the wall, ramming his shoulder into it with growing anger.

Harry clenched his teeth with tears streaking his cheeks, hands clenching into fists that pounded the wall in desperation.

POUND!

"S-severus…"

POUND

"S-se-"

Pound…

Harry sobbed, sliding down the wall and bringing his knees towards his chest, crying into the hospital gown.

A cold, pale hand laid on his shoulder.

"Why…why does everyone that cares for me have to die?" Harry whispered into the fabric. "Why… why did he die after trying to adopt me?"

The blond man knelt next to him as the door clicked shut behind Ginny.

Harry turned to stare into the man's eyes, and whispered, "Am I cursed to forever be alone?"

The man frowned, and looked at the floor, brows creasing in thought, and looked back to Harry's forlorn eyes, "Is there a solitary person who is truly not alone?"

Harry blinked, "That is a terrible thought…"

The man gave a half smile ruefully, "It's a terrible world full of terrible people with terrible thoughts." He shook his head, "I do not think that any one person has someone to forever keep them company. Eventually we will all die, and when we do we shall die alone, because in actuality, we always are. The people around us just travel along their own paths, fulfilling their own destinies and sometimes find the time to speak with us. But… but we never really have someone to be with. If you're married, they may live with you, may eat with you, may love you, but they don't share the same destiny. They might leave. They might die before you. But we are alone, never fully understood."

Harry frowned, aching at the sad, sad look in the man's eyes.

"But you're wrong." Harry whispered, "If someone loves you, then you'll never be alone. When you affect someone by what you say, or what you do, then they'll forever remember you, and in memory you can never be alone."

The blond man smiled thinly.

Harry grasped his hand and pulled him into a hug, feeling some connection to the sad man before him.

How did he know this man?

"Sorry for asking, but who are you?" Harry whispered into the man's coat that smelled familiar.

"I'm your step-brother… Draco Snape."

Harry released Draco, and held him at arms length, studying his high cheekbones, aristocratic nose, sad eyes, and the thin smile.

"Draco…" Harry whispered, remembering his brother in the past… or… his dream. He didn't know anymore. Harry smiled, "How did I not recognize you before?" Harry stood up on shaky legs that were getting used to standing, and stabled himself by leaning against the wall.

He turned to Draco, "So… was I dreaming about the Futurus Verisimilis potion? Was I really asleep this whole time?"

Draco nodded, "I'm sorry, Harry. Occasionally I would hear you mouth about the potion, sometimes you would describe something that was happening. And… and yesterday, I spoke to you as if I were there. I gave you what my point of view would be. I… I just wanted to be where you were, brother. I missed you. We helped each other many times during the war. I hated that we wasted all those years without being friends. I hate that we had to get to know each other during such a terrible time."

Harry shook his head, "I… I don't remember any of that."

Draco nodded, "The doctor said that most comatose patients wake up with severe memory loss. Mostly because they do not want to remember some traumatic time. The war against Voldemort certainly meets that definition."

Harry steadied himself, nearly whispering the question, "Could you… could you tell me what happened? During the war, that is."

A haunting, forlorn look darkened Draco's eyes as his head drooped, his whispered answer barely reaching out to Harry's ears, "Don't make me go back…"

Harry frowned, his eyes flashed with pity and disappointment as his lips pressed thinly to ward off frustrated retorts.

Draco was shaking, his shoulders trembled.

Taking a tentative step toward his brother, Harry wanted to comfort him in some way, but his working jaw and scrambled thoughts couldn't form words.

Biting his lip for a heartless comment, Harry braced himself against the bed and whispered, "It was that bad?"

Draco coughed a rueful chuckle and lifted his head, glazed, tearful eyes met pitying emerald.

"Yes, brother." He slid with a dragging gate to sit heavily on the bed, "It was that bad."

Harry sighed heavily, pushing himself from the wall and landing less gracefully on the bed beside Draco.

Harry blinked as another question surfaced, "Draco?"

His brother turned to him, all signs that he had cried gone, "Hmm?"

"Do you know a Mr. Valentine? He was in my… my dream."

Draco's eyebrows furrowed confusedly, his lips pressing into a frown as his confused eyes searched Harry's, "Now, how do you know about him?"

Harry shrugged, "He owned this odd shop in Nocturn Alley."

Draco straightened his back and turned on the bed and bodily faced Harry, "How would you know that? No one's ever talked about him… I've been here every day during visiting hours. That I know of, you have no way to know that…"

A hopeful gleam sharpened Harry's eyes as an eager smile tugged at his lips, "So…what are you saying?"

Draco leaned forward, catching some of Harry's eagerness, "Tell me something else about your dream."

Harry's thoughtful gaze found the floor as scene after scene played over in his head, "Well… I lived with you and Severus in Snape manor."

Draco shook his head lightly, "I've described it."

Harry sighed sharply, and continued to think with renewed vigor, "Ron and Hermione had two children, Brian and Lily."

Draco chuckled lightly, "There wasn't a day that Hermione didn't update you about her children."

Harry bit his lip, thinking, scrambling to think of something that he might not should know.

He turned to Draco, "When you described the manor, did you tell me about the pond?"

Draco eyed him confusedly, "What pond?"

"The one just past the gnarled-looking yew tree." Harry winced, "I tripped over one of its roots when I found the pond."

An excited sparkle lit up Draco's eyes once again, "I don't remember a yew tree or pond, but I'll certainly go look."

Draco stood up, "Wait here, I'll return shortly."

Harry glowered with a frown, "And what am I supposed to do while you're gone?"

His brother strode to the door and turned to face him, "I don't know. Entertain yourself somehow."

Harry sighed and dropped back to the bed as the door shut.

A light tickling of unease crept up his toes to his stomach, settling heavily on his chest.

Something wasn't right.

Harry frowned deeply and glared at the door, pegging the ignorant wood with his mounting worries.

Rubbing a hand roughly through his hair, Harry squeezed his eyes shut.

Why did he not trust this Draco?

Something in his eyes had been off…

Harry opened his emerald eyes, then widened them with a realization.

Draco's eyes were nearly black.

His chest was seized with panic, something had gone wrong with the potion, it had to be.

Harry shot off the bed, grabbed his cloak off a nearby chair to cover his hospital gown, and clumsily stumbled toward the door.

As if by his beck and silent call, the door opened.

Draco had come back.

He shook his head, "Sorry, Harry, but I didn't see a yew tree or a pond. I apparated to the manor, but I didn't find those anywhere on the grounds."

Wiping his face blank to hide surprise and confusion, Harry simply nodded, took off his cloak which he had just noticed to be very fine, and slid obediently back into the bed.

A harsh, dull throb stabbed in the middle of his chest.

Draco chuckled, "You look less invalid."

Unable to hide it, Harry smirked, and Draco returned the gesture.

Hope swelled within Harry, maybe this Draco was like the one he knew.

Maybe he was just being paranoid.

He inwardly cringed, he was thinking like Mad-Eye.

Draco nodded to the door, "I have requested for you to finish your healing in Snape manor, as I had originally suggested in the beginning, but was only recently acquiesced."

Searching his black eyes for a hint of what this Draco was like, Harry simply nodded, and reversed his previous process, following Draco with clumsy steps toward the door.

The uneasy tickling began again, though much more frantically.

Harry halted instantly.

Draco opened the door, and looked back at Harry coolly, "Are you coming, Harry?"

Harry grit his teeth.

Razor-sharp jabs prickled his forehead, making him wince.

His vision blurred.

The colors of the room contorted and swirled, mixing colors and forming new shapes until what he saw was completely different.

He was in a bright room, the yellow and orange of the many lanterns flaring all around the gigantic circular space.

They cast eerie, creeping shadows on the maroon-red carpet with daisy-yellow diamonds and broad, weaved tapestries of mighty roaring lions.

But the brightest lights were around a very large portrait witch spanned across the whole wall.

It had three empty chairs, but in one of them was a tall, stout man with flaming red hair like a groomed lion's mane about his head.

Godric Gryffindor waved enthusiastically, "Why, hullo there! Thank Merlin you've come. We're in a bit of a bind."

Harry raised an eyebrow, was he dreaming? Was it a vision?

Godric ignored his incredulity, "You're not really in the hospital, you're in one of the chambers. You'll have to figure out how to break the enchantment."

Harry frowned, "One of which chambers?"

Godric sighed dramatically, "There _no_ _time _for that, chum! You've got to snap out of this vision and break the enchantment that that _slimy_ Slytherin has put you under and beat them all to shits for making me unable to communicate to anyone!"

Harry fought a smile, "So, bosh the fate of the wizarding world, you just want me to defeat the dark lord so you won't be lonely."

Godric scowled, looking more like a lion by the minute.

Harry waved his hand, as if abolishing what he said as smoke still in the air.

"Alright…" he sighed heavily, "Wish me luck… I guess."

A heavy weight settle nicely on his ribcage, whether being from the nervousness of his predestined fate or the fact that he was waking from a vision.

Harry looked about for his wand, patting pockets in his cloak and looking fruitlessly in his hospital gown.

He grit his teeth harshly, how silly of him.

Thrusting his hand in the air with absolute concentration, Harry whispered, "Accio wand."

Magic pulsated through his hand and out into the air, piercing the cathedral ceilings of the stone room and throbbing with raw magic.

A sweat broke out on Harry's brow, his breath was ragged, his body ached from using so much power at once.

His wand hurtled towards him from the inky blackness of the ceiling, landing snug in his shaky palm.

"That's a Gryffindor for you!" Godric shouted triumphantly.

Harry smirked, nodded at Godric in farewell, not knowing if it would be the last time he would see his robust, grinning face.

"Knock 'em off their bloomin' blocks, m'boy." Godric said proudly with a wink.

Harry's lips quirked into a smile, the nervousness dulling to a buzz.

He held his wand firmly between his two hands, bringing it up to his face, closed his eyes tightly, and started building up a shield of raw magic to dispel any enchantments on him.

It would, undoubtedly, break him free of the illusion spell put on him, but he would be considerably weaker after using so much magic.

A risk he just had to take.

Harry's body shook with the raw energy pulsing through his veins and out around him, glowing a blinding red color.

With a sizzling zap, Harry was gone from the room.

Godric sighed, "You'll do well, m'boy." He smiled a bit forlornly, "We all knew you will."

The three chairs beside him were filled now, two women and one other man.

One of the women, clothed in finely laced royal blue dress robes, pursed her lips and uttered in sharp, crisp tones, "I despair far too much for that boy."

The other woman giggled airily, causing the black-haired, scowling man to wince and frown deeply.

The woman who giggled was wearing a pasty yellow with sparkle enchantments to make it catch the light and wink with every deft movement.

She replied in a high, airy voice, "I believe we all do, Rowena dearest."

Godric nodded firmly.

Salazar rolled his cobalt eyes, "Why in the name of Merlin do I have to share several portraits with you."

Godric smirked, "So we can keep you in line."

The men exchanged violent glares.

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Harry stumbled to his knees after he felt the humid aura of the enchantment break away from him like glass.

He was breathing shuttering gasps, his body shaking and an occasional bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.

"Well, well, well." Muttered a deep, slightly growling voice from behind him, "The half-blood who wouldn't die is being difficult."

Step

Step

Step

The man leaned down to look him in the eyes, the stench of stale, moth-bitten clothes and pungent firewhiskey burned Harry's nose.

It was Amycus.

The tottering, fat man chuckled deep in his throat.

"Oh, I shall 'ave fun with you."

Harry's eyes widened.

He was chained.

But then he registered something else.

He had his wand.

Amycus chuckled again, "Thought you were too careful and powerful not to get caught, eh?" He stumbled over to an old table made of rotting wood, with a single, haggard stick.

Harry murmured, "Aloham-"

Amycus whirled around drunkenly and barked, ""

Harry gulped hard and muttered, "Nothing."

Amycus glared at him, then turned back to the table, stroking the misshapen stick like it was gold.

Closing his eyes tightly, Harry concentrated once more, gathering his magic to his hands, willing the chains to unlock.

Just as Amycus was about to turn back around, Harry felt the chains slipping off his hands, and quickly whipped out his wand.

"Expelliarmus!"

The stick flew out of Amycus' hand, clattering against the wall.

Harry pointed his wand with a shaking hand, but achingly firm grip.

Amycus stared wide-eyed at him, backing to a part of the wall that was slightly discolored than the rest.

"Stop." Harry hissed between pants.

Amycus abruptly halted like a terrified rabbit.

"You're going to tell me where I am." He bit out in clipped tones, breathing harshly through his nose.

"The chamber…" Amycus said in a strangled whisper.

Harry frowned, remembering what Godric had said.

Was he in the same place as his vision?

"_What_ chamber?"

Amycus' bloodshot eyes glanced quickly to the wall behind him.

Harry jabbed his wand in his direction, earning a hesitant squeak from the man.

"I-It's…it's in the… the…"

Harry frowned deeper, taking a menacing step towards the cowering man, "Where?"

Amycus swallowed thickly, taking a step backwards.

He seemed to gain bravery with coming closer to the wall, for he yelled, "Why should I tell you, _filthy half-blood_!"

Amycus couldn't even blink before Harry was in front of him, jabbing his wand painfully to his jaw, he whispered harshly, "Because you're meager life will be frighteningly close to being snuffed."

Amycus gulped harshly, shakily panting in putrid bursts.

Harry glared, "Where- am- I?"

"Under the school," Amycus wheezed, "in the chamber."

The wand pressed harder.

"_What_ chamber?"

Amycus' eyes slowly peered at him, a maniacal twitch at his lips, "Salazar's."

Harry grit his teeth.

"The chamber of secrets…" Harry muttered.

Amycus chuckled that wheezing, deep, disgusting chuckle of his, "No, no. Salazar's chamber." He chuckled more, "S'not a secret."

Harry's wand pressed harder.

Amycus winced, resuming his wheezing, "But… but I do know the other chambers are mostly secret."

Harry blinked, "What other chambers?"

Amycus chuckled lightly, mindful of the wand nearly piercing his skin, "You didn't think that Salazar was the only one to have a chamber, did you?"

Harry's eyes widened, "Where are the others?"

Amycus jerked his head, eyeing the wand at his neck, then at the wall behind him, he gasped out, "I've said enough."

Harry glared, then pulled the staggering man harshly to the wall where he had been chained, and locked the chains about the drunk's fat, grimy wrists.

Casting one last, disdainful look at the putrid man, Harry walked steadfastly toward the discolored wall.

He eyed it, then pressed a hand against the cold stone, wondering how he could pass through.

It had to be a door.

The stones shifted, much like the stones leading to Diagon Alley.

They opened out into the familiar, foreboding chamber that Harry had been in second year.

Harry grit his teeth.

He half expected a basilisk to greet him.

Eyes widening in last-minute realization, Harry whipped around, wand raised and pointed at Amycus.

He was too late.

"THE BOY IS FREE!! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! HE'S FREE! HE'S-"

Harry shouted a silencing charm, but the harm was already inflicted.

He needed to get out of there.

Turning back around, he bee-lined for one side of the chamber where he noticed a door shaped like a snake opening it's mouth with it's head rising out of the floor.

Gripping his wand tightly with white-knuckled fingers, Harry panted and tried to ignore the protests from his aching, burning legs.

His hard footfalls echoed in the chamber, and were soon joined by gathering voices.

He was almost to the door.

Harry chanced a look behind him.

Death eaters were swarming out of similar snake doors that lined the long, wide hallway.

Spells came at him, lighting up the eerie, green water around the chamber.

Harry dodged and ducked, concentrating mostly on reaching the door.

He thrust out his wand at it, willing the door to open, pumping his legs harder as he was achingly close.

A threateningly green stream of magic crackled past his ear, just missing him.

His imagination screamed that it merely looked like the Aveda Kedavra.

The door shot open as he was mere steps away, and he catapulted through it, slamming it behind him.

He fell harshly to his knees, luckily on plush, though dusty, carpet.

Harry panted, falling onto his back to catch his breath, then shooting a slightly botched locking charm on the door that would confuse them for a short while.

Now was no time to rest.

He heaved himself up off the dusty carpet, looking around anxiously at the room.

It looked a bit small, but most was in shadow.

The ceiling was so high that he couldn't even see the top.

Casting a fire charm about the room to light any lanterns, Harry gasped.

It was just as large as Salazar's chamber, though it was a pasty yellow. Probably made so by the copious amounts of dust on every surface.

This had to be Helga Hufflepuff's chamber.

A vicious banging and sizzling came from the door, and Harry was spurred on.

He bolted to the far end of the chamber, occasionally looking about him at all the fine gold and tapestries.

So many tapestries.

Helga must have made them herself, for at the bottom of every tapestry was the initials, H.H.

Harry wished to look at the room longer, but he was compelled to run forward to avoid the loud, violent noises coming more frequently with increasing volume.

His legs cried out for rest, but Harry pushed on, his lungs on fire, panting and pumping his arms, getting some momentum to his running.

He thrust out his wand again, willing the door, which was a badger this time, to open.

The door behind him shattered, the stone crumbling and blasting violently into the room.

That door was too far behind him to cause him harm, but the spells that would soon burst after him certainly would.

The door in front of him was thrown open, slamming back into the stone and returning harshly back to its original position.

Harry locked it with another form of locking charm, gulping air like water to a fish.

Gripping the stiff cramp in his side, Harry walked stiffly, though as quickly as he could, to the end of this chamber.

It was already lit.

Harry halted, looking dartingly about for a silhouette.

A flash of red caught his eye, and he ducked before a rather nasty curse hit his head.

He whipped to face in the direction it came from.

"Ah, Harry." Said a slightly airy, hostile voice from behind him, the voice returned to the normal tone, "I see you have joined me."

Harry quickly turned around, wand at the ready, spell forming in his mind.

Too slow.

His wand flew from his hand.

Voldemort slowly smirked, and lifted his wand.

"I hate that this should end so quickly."

Harry's eyes widened, his body shaking, his breathing short, harsh, and shuttering, he was trying to summon his magic, but he had used too much with the shield and the wandless opening of the doors.

Voldemort whipped his wand in a jerky, upward flick, sending Harry spiraling into the wall, breaking his arm with a sickening crack, making him cry out as the bone pierced his skin.

Voldemort leered, apparating beside the bleeding hero in a wisp of black, curling smoke.

He gripped the broken arm roughly, making Harry rip out a curdling and vicious scream.

Harry clawed at Voldemort's pasty hand, wrenching himself harder and harder away from the blinding pain, not caring if he ripped his arm off as long as that monster didn't touch him.

It burned.

He could feel his skin shriveling at the snake's touch.

Voldemort hissed in his ear, "How does it feel, boy?" He spat, leering at Harry's pain, "Being burned by mere touch. Now it works both ways."

His arm shook, his hand was starting to burn from gripping Harry's equally burning arm.

Harry grit his teeth, glaring such a violent glare, his face contorted.

Voldemort squinted at him confusedly, something had seemed odd with the boy's face, but he dismissed it, giving Harry's arm one final, crushing squeeze, he leapt from him, his wand pointed at the detestable scar.

Voldemort ground his teeth together, face twitching maniacally.

His power surged through him, "Prepare to lose." He hissed.

"AVEDA KEDAVRAAA!" He roared, the sea of green bursting from his wand tip like one great wave, rushing through the air and crashing into Harry.

The green enveloped him, seeping through his flesh and snuffing out all the life from his body like water to a flame.

Voldemort panted from the exertion.

He had used too much magic in that spell, but he didn't care.

It was over.

All of it was over with.

Dumbledore was dead, and now so was the savior of the wizarding world.

Voldemort chuckled, then chuckled louder.

He was all-out guffawing, his eerie laughter reached to the ceiling and echoed off the stones.

But then something stopped him.

The Potter boy's body.

Voldemort glared at it, shaking his head.

He knelt down to peer at the body before him.

Voldemort started to breath harshly, pure hatred boiled through his veins like poison.

He gave a reverberating, roaring yell, thrusting and jerking his wand violently, shattering and breaking everything in the room all at once with a great, deafening crash.

The body was a woman vampire.

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Harry shot up in his bed, gasping, and wiping sweat from his brow.

A ball of light flickered next to his face.

Harry turned to the light, still panting, "Asema?"

The light shifted into a tall, silver-haired vampire with black eyes.

Harry continued, struggling with his hatred for Voldemort, or trying to control the hatred that he could feel positively burning through their connection, "Voldemort k-killed Kappa."

Asema winced, turning jerkily to the window, a blood-red tear cascading down his cheek.

Harry clenched his teeth.

One more life I've killed…

Asema shook his head, "No. She chose to protect you. She new tzat eef Voldemort vatched 'er vhile you gazhered ze vorcruxes zhat zhere vas a good chance she vould die."

Harry nodded, not looking at Asema.

Asema turned to him, "Do not vbe sad for 'er. Even ve vampires do not know eef ze keeling curse does keel us."

Harry felt a sliver of hope, though he noticed that Asema didn't seem very hopeful.

He sighed, turned into his stomach and peering under the bed where the horcruxes were stashed, and picked up the two-way mirror.

He needed to see a familiar face.

"Olivander and Valentine," He whispered.

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End file.
